Boko Haram: Security review c’ttee report ready May

on MARCH 6, 2012 · in NEWS

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

ABUJA— THE  Commandant of  National Defence College, Rear-Admiral Thomas Lokoson, said, yesterday, that the security review committee set up by the apex military institution to work out new operational modalities to tackle bombings and attacks by Boko Haram, and other groups, would submit its report in two months.

Admiral Lokoson also explained that the precision with which the Boko Haram group carried out its bombings was no longer the case, as security agencies were now aware of their tricks.

Besides, he said, Nigerians were now more enlightened about Boko Haram activities. At a seminar on “Increasing Wave of Insecurity: Policy Options” in Abuja, he noted that the committee’s major aim, which is to formulate a National Defence Strategy through which terrorism and other crimes against the nation would be tackled, will go a long way in guiding the armed forces and other security agencies to contend with the new challenges.

“Towards this end, we have invited our partners, like the British, and others who have experienced what we are going through now,to come share with us the experience with which they surmounted this problem.

“When it comes to security issues, we have to keep talking, we have to create the awareness from those that have the know how,” he said.

Emphasizing that the sharing of ideas and experience in tackling of the security challenges was paying of, the NDC commandant said “If you notice, the bombings of terrorists have reduced drastically because there is a big awareness on the part of Nigerians.

“So many IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), have been diffused or demobilized before they create havoc. Nigerians now call security agencies to report suspicious baggages and this has helped stop many explosives going off.”

In his contribution at the seminar, an anti-terrorism expert, Colonel James Hall of the British Army, who spoke on “National Security Policy and Strategies: The British Experience”, noted that for terrorism to be fought successfully, all branches of government, including the executive, legislature, Judiciary and security agencies must work together.
He said if the enabling environment was not provided, security agencies would have difficulties tackling the menace.

SOURCE: Vanguard Newspaper, 6 March 2012. http://www.vanguardngr.com/