A coalition of pressure groups in Nigeria have thrown their weight behind the proposal of the national Secureity Adviser, Babagana Monguno, to use force instead of negotiations, to rid off the country of bandits.
The coalition wondered why some state Governors would elect negotiating with bandits, accusing some political actors of deliberate sabotage to weaken Nigeria’s national security.
In a statement signed by the group of fifteen, they argued that the idea of paying bandits and terrorists ransom money, is indirectly legitimizing and rewarding criminality, calling on those bent of blackmailing the NSA Monguno and using media platforms to attack him to stop and allow the retired general do his job.
The Statement reads:
Nigeria’s Insecurity: We stand with position of National Security Adviser Babagana Mungono In the last two decades, insecurity has been the most glaring and challenging problem in Nigeria.
Acts of insecurity occurs in different forms throughout the country. While some of these acts of insecurity such as farmers and herder crisis go way back several decades ago, some other forms of insecurity such banditry have become more prominent in recent times mainly due to act of deliberate sabotage from political actors, who aimed at weakening our National Security for selfish political interest.
Some of the actions taken by these political actors include use of media to rubbish every success made by the Nigeria’s Security Institutions as well as publishing propaganda and blackmail articles against the Heads of the various Security Institutions with the aim of demoralizing them or painting a bad picture of them to the general public.
These actors have made it upon themselves to oppose whatever strategy our security institutions devise to fight insecurity in Nigeria. Currently, one subject area of contention between certain stakeholders and political actors is on the best strategy needed to fight banditry and Kidnapping in Nigeria, with some political leaders and stakeholders calling for adopting a strategy of “Negotiating” with the Bandits.
However, the NSA seems to oppose this and is of the view that the most effective and international adopted method of fighting terrorist is by the use of force as negotiating with terrorist never works. We are also of the opinion that negotiating with terrorists never yield the desired peace.
The argument against negotiating with terrorists is simple: Democracies must never give in to violence, and terrorists must never be rewarded for using it. Negotiations give legitimacy to terrorists and their methods and undermine actors who have pursued political change through peaceful means. Talks can destabilize the negotiating governments’ political systems, undercut international efforts to outlaw terrorism, and set a dangerous precedent. Most Scholars and international policymakers also warns against engaging in negotiations with terrorists as it will legitimize terrorist groups, their goals and their means.
Talking to them would serve only to incite more violence and weaken the fabric of democratic states. So far in Nigeria, the states that initially opted for the option of negotiating with the bandits have not been spared from the violent and deadly wrath of these terrorist.
The bandits use the money paid to them by these state governors to purchase more weapons and expand their terror activities.
Sometimes they negotiate with one state, and use such state as a safe haven to lay low to avoid the wrath of our military or to keep victims they kidnapped from states. We will like to unequivocally state that, we stand with the NSA regarding the non-negotiation with terrorists.
We call on the federal government to adopt more effective military practices and built on the existing citizen economic empowerment programs in order to bring an end to the insecurity bedeviling the country.
We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, what has now become some states government’s standard policy of using taxpayers’ money to pay terrorists and bandits thereby funding and encouraging more terrorism and legitimize criminality.
We also call on government at all levels to stop granting amnesty for bandits, terrorists and abductors unless a serious commitment to peace has been demonstrated from their part.
As evidence has shown the ransom paid to criminal gangs is used to purchase arms and ammunition to attack more communities.
We call on government to spend strategically on security by considering building technology driven security architecture, and must acquire the necessary equipment to deal with the menace of terrorism, banditry and abduction.
In a moment like this Nigerians would not mine any price tag to secure the nation. The detractors cowardly believe that they are responsible for the retirement of the Ex-Service Chiefs, and hence want to shift attacks to the next person of interest in the person of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Mohammed Babagana Monguno.
These detractors have recently launch numerous media attacks aimed at rubbishing the selfless service of the NSA so as to distract him from adopting the stringent measures necessary to fight insecurity in the country.
First and foremost, we will like to point out that attacking the competence of the NSA are efforts made in vain, because the capabilities and experience of the NSA is there for all to see. Monguno was appointed National Security Adviser on July 13, 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also, just to mention a few scenarios that demonstrated the selfless and incorruptible nature of Babagana Monguno; As Defence Adviser in Ghana, he caught the attention of the Nigeria’s Minister of Defence Gen Danjuma when he was given money to procure property for the Defence section and he returned an incredible amount to the government having bought what the office needed instead of pocketing the remaining money; As Chief of Defence Intelligence, he increased the allowances of the staff of the entire agency and left over 9 billion Naira when he was posted out after 2 years; The two helicopters he negotiated for the Presidential Air Fleet were acquired at prices which were unbelievably low, the Hon
Minister of Aviation himself commended his degree of integrity when the memo was brought before FEC; As NSA he has returned billions of Naira to the Government having suspected that the money was approved under dubious circumstances for his office did not endorse.
This is on record not once but several times when criminal entities tried to swindle the government for jobs that were never done; The Counter Terrorist Centre he is building right now cannot be found anywhere in Africa; The new Headquarters he is building is 4 times bigger than the present one built 20 years ago and cost less and is being built by the same foreign consultants; He kept the 44 million dollar Ayo Oke (Ex Director General, National Intelligence Agency) money for over a year in his office and returned it to the CBN without one cent missing when directed to do so. Babagana Monguno have serve his country well and is still serving with outmost love and dedication for his country.
We hereby call on the public to disregard the media campaign of calumny against the person of Babagana Monguno, who deserve nothing but praise and prayers from Nigerians that he be successful in coordination of the various Security Institutions and devising effective strategies that will end insecurity in our dear country.
Signed:
1. Citizens for Education and Development
2. Organization for Community Civic Engagement
3. Kano State Traders Unions
4. Nigeria Environmental Society
5. Nigeia Labour Congress (Women wing) Kano state chapter
6. Network for Empowerment and Development Initiative
7. Nigerian Democracy Working Group
8. Societal Concerns Project
9. Northern Youth Assembly
10. Center for Awareness Justice and Accountability
11. Organization for Civic Space
12. Nigeria Peace Advocates Network
13. Citizens Voice Against Corruption
14. Association for Public Policy Analyst
15. Northern Nigeria Peace Promoters Council