Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, has identified groups enabling terrorism in Nigeria.
Monguno identified Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin, (JNIM), Islamic and Muslim Support Group, and Islamic State in Greater Sahara, (ISGS), as organizations behind terrorism in Nigeria and Africa.
The retired Major General disclosed this while speaking at the 14th Workshop of the League of Ulamas, Preachers and Imams of Sahel countries in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Monguno: “Terrorism and the rapid escalation of violent activities by militant Islamist groups in the Sahel since 2016 have been primarily driven by the Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS), which mainly operates in Mali and extends to the Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.
READ ALSO: NSA, Monguno, calls on the international community to join fight against terrorism
“It is bolstered by activities of groups such as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (GSIM) and (ISGS), which have continued to pose an imminent threat to the stability of the region.
“In Nigeria, Boko-Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) dominate terrorist activities, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.
“The situation in the Sahel has never been grimmer, extremist violence continues to spread; the number of internally displaced persons (IDPS) is growing, and food insecurity is affecting more people than ever before.”
According to the NSA, the adoption of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches by Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) countries to stem the conflict has yielded tremendous success.
He also described the adoption of propaganda videos by terrorist groups to project themselves as contending powers in the region as a mere attempt to garner support from sympathisers, as they struggle to maintain relevance.
“Thus, it is assessed that while the groups maintain the long-term strategic goal of creating a caliphate, the efforts of LCBC countries will continue to frustrate that goal,” Monguno avowed.
“In that regard, it is imperative that ulamas, preachers, and community leaders in your localities key in to support efforts of our security forces, in order to end this menace.
“Just as collaborations between governments are boosting the advance of security forces in the fight against terrorism, alliances and group efforts like LOPIS should be the backbone to rebuilding our terrorism-infested communities. There’s no gun more powerful than enlightenment and education at the grassroots level.”
