June 23, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government is seeking support from the United Nations (UN) and development partners towards the implementation of the regional strategy for the stabilization and recovery of areas affected by terrorism in Lake Chad.
National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), retired Rear Adm. Yaminu Musa, made the call at the ongoing 3rd UN Counter-Terrorism Week in New York.
The Counterterrorism Week is a biennial gathering of Member States and international counter-terrorism partners.
A statement issued on Friday, by the Director, Strategic Communication, NCTC, Ozoya Imohimi, said the reintegration of the vast number of repentant and low-risk individuals associated with Boko Haram and ISWAP poses a significant new challenge for the Government of Nigeria.
Musa, who called for more international support to address the menace, said the Nigerian Government had in the last six years, since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2349, undertaken several responses to address the impact of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin.
“In the Lake Chad Basin region, the UN and Developmental Partners must continue to strengthen support towards the implementations of the regional strategy for stabilisation, recovery and resilience of Boko Haram affected areas,” he said.
Musa said the efforts had guided the 2022 Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, the 2019 National Security Strategy, the 2017 National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, as well as the 2016 National Counter Terrorism Strategy.
He expressed gratitude for the tremendous support from the UN and its entities for the rehabilitation efforts in Nigeria and emphasised the need for more global awareness and support to address the inherent challenges and risks in reintegrating all categories of returning terrorists, especially those moving around sub-Saharan Africa.
