The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), has raised the alarm that terrorist organisations like the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were recruiting and radicalising vulnerable Nigerian youths through social media.
Monguno made raised the alarm at the ongoing second United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of member-states, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in New York.
He declared that the intention of the Terrorist groups was to portray the Federal Government as incapable of protecting the population.
According to him, “Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists are also using the social media to instil fear in the target communities, as well as to deflate the morale of defence and security forces.”
He further added that terrorism had continued to manifest itself as a vicious and relentless global threat, recognising no border, nationality and religion.
The NSA stated that in order to deal decisively with the complex nature of terrorism and other organised transnational crimes, the international community must see the menace as a threat to global peace and security.
Monguno said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had persistently confronted the nation’s challenges by setting up new structures and institutions, as well as empowering them.
According to him, the Federal Government has improved the coordination of humanitarian support for non-government organisations (NGOs) by creating the Ministry of Humanitarians Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
He observed that in the recent past, the President had approved the establishment of the National Commission of the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the National Commission for the Coordination of Cyber Security.
The NSA said the government was empowering the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to trace terrorist organisations’ sources of funding.
Monguno reiterated Buhari’s commitment to diffusing tensions in Lake Chad Basin via the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF).
