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Tag: Babagana Monguno

  • How terrorists sustain their activities in Nigeria – Ex-NSA

    How terrorists sustain their activities in Nigeria – Ex-NSA

    While stressing that Nigeria remains committed to bringing terrorists to justice, former National Security Adviser (NSA), Retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno has disclosed how terrorist groups sustain their activities and carry out fresh attacks in the country.

    Monguno made this known at the Session II Third United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

    The Conference, which opened on Monday is expected to host 40 side events backed by State Members and multilateral organisations.

    The former NSA said that with partnerships from specialised UN agencies and international partners, Nigeria had continued to strengthen its criminal justice provisions and judicial frameworks to secure the conviction of terrorism offenders.

    “At both state and federal levels, Nigeria is building institutional capacity to effectively rehabilitate and reintegrate low-risk affiliates of terrorist groups through the “OPERATION SAFE CORRIDOR” and other home-grown initiatives by state governments in the North-East.

    “Likewise, our efforts at enhancing support to victims have involved the establishment of the North-East Development Commission and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development which continue to embark on projects to rebuild communities affected by terrorist attacks and address the conditions conducive to terrorism,’’ he said.

    According to him, the transnational nature of terrorism underscores the importance of strengthening regional institutions and mechanisms to counter the threat.

    “It is in this connection and that Nigeria and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) will jointly host the next African Regional Counter Terrorism Summit in Abuja in the first quarter of 2024.

    “This is to identify challenges as well as foster precipitous and collective action to strengthen national and regional institutions to effectively counter the threat of terrorism in Africa.

    “We look forward to welcoming our African colleagues and key partners to this important event,” he said.

    Monguno further said that building resilient institutions was not only essential to denying terrorists the freedom to carry out their heinous activities but also fundamental to bringing them to justice.

    He said it was essential to provide protection for vulnerable communities and addressing the drivers of radicalisation.

    “In the light of the evolving global terrorism landscape, national governments must continue to update legislation in order to build and strengthen national institutions to better respond to threats within and outside their borders.

    “In Nigeria, the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) of 2016 and the Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism of 2017 provide a dependable architecture for the nation’s counter-terrorism efforts.

    “However, more recently in 2022, we adopted the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which repeals the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 as amended in 2013 and places prevention at the core of counter terrorism efforts.

    “An assessment of this critical piece of legislation was carried out by the Security Council’s CounterTerrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) during their most recent follow-up visit to Nigeria in October 2022.

    “Inter alia, the TPPA 2022 enables the establishment of two critical institutions, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the Nigerian Sanctions Committee (NSC).,’’ he said.

    According to him, the centre, commissioned in March 2023, acts as a coordinating platform for Nigeria’s counter terrorism activities aimed at defeating terrorism in all forms.

    Likewise, he said the Nigerian Sanctions Committee (NSC) was set up as the national entity responsible for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1373 on Targeted Financial Sanctions, as well as Resolutions 1267, 1988 and successor resolutions.

    “Given the growing threat and influence of Da’esh and Al Qaeda on terrorist groups operating within our region, strengthening the effectiveness of these institutions will remain a priority for Nigeria in our fight to eradicate Boko Haram and ISWAP.

    “The importance for states to truncate terrorists’ access to finances cannot be overemphasized. Terrorists continue to devise means of exploiting the illicit trade in precious minerals, natural resources, virtual assets, crypto currencies and kidnapping for ransom, to sustain their activities and carry out fresh attacks,” he said.

    The former NSA , however, advised  States to strengthen their various Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) frameworks in line with best practices, including the guidelines by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

    “In 2022, Nigeria adopted the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which has strengthened national AML/CFT compliance.

    “Likewise, states must prioritise enhancing normative and institutional frameworks to prevent and deny terrorists’ illicit access to SALWs.,’’ he said.

    In addition, he said as a former president of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), Nigeria remains a consistent advocate for strengthening regulatory measures to curb illicit manufacturing, trafficking and diversion of SALWs.

    “The establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in 2021, as a policy guidance, research and monitoring centre, has strengthened Nigeria’s capabilities to respond efficiently to tracking and tracing requests.

    “The exploitation and misuse of the cyberspace and new technologies by terrorists remains a cause for concern especially in an age where artificial intelligence can be deployed to spew misinformation.

    “The use of social media to propagate hate speech and easily disseminate terrorist narratives, as well as their use of encrypted messages calls for increased collaboration between national authorities and platform operators to stem this threat,’’ the former NSA said.

  • Abuja: Eagle Square wears new look ahead Tinubu’s inauguration

    Abuja: Eagle Square wears new look ahead Tinubu’s inauguration

    Eagle Square, the venue for the 2023 Presidential inauguration has been given a facelift.

    The 5000 sitting capacity venue had undergone some level of  renovation in the build up to the inauguration, which would hold in less than 24 hours.

    The venue had been adorned with Nigerian flags and flags of other countries, while some parts had been repainted.

    The Very Important Personality (VIP) Pavilion was among parts of the square that was repainted worked on ahead the inauguration.

    The Eagle Square was constructed in 1999 to mark take-off of the Fourth Republic and had been the venue for presidential inauguration since then.

    The square also served as venue for other activities like Worker’s Day celebration and political rallies among others.

    Meanwhile, security had been beefed up within and around the square in preparation for the inauguration of a new government on May 29.

    Part of the security measures was the restriction of movement  within and around the Eagle Square.

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno had said there would be restriction of movement at a certain range around the Eagle Square.

    Monguno, who heads the Security, Facilities and Intelligence Committee of the Presidential Transition Council(PTC), said there would be traffic diversion around the area.

    He also said there would be provision of alternative routes for motorists and pedestrians.

    The NSA said, “If you have no business with security you need not be near the vicinity of the programme especially on the inauguration day.”

    Access to the venue will only be allowed to accredited persons and designated vehicles on the inauguration day.

    Meanwhile, the inauguration day, Monday, May 29, has been declared public holiday.

  • Military has adopted new strategy to tackle insecurity – NSA

    Military has adopted new strategy to tackle insecurity – NSA

    The management of the Nigerian military during a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari today assured him that they have adopted new strategies and tactics to deal with insecurity ravaging the country.

    The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, briefed pressmen after Thursday’s National Security Council meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “The members of the armed forces have also committed that in the coming weeks, they have already started working on a new strategy to deal with these snippets of violence,” Mr. Monguno said. “And they’ve given their word their commitment to the President, that there will be a change in momentum, even though there might be certain institutional limitations which they face. But they understood the enormity of the responsibilities that they have.”

    However, Monguno did not disclose the new strategy and tactics that the Military will be adopting but assured that there will be a huge difference henceforth.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that president Buhari summoned service chiefs to an emergency meeting to chart a way forward concerning insecurity issues and incessant attacks by bandits and terrorists in the country.

     

     

  • What Buhari said at emergency National Security Council meeting

    What Buhari said at emergency National Security Council meeting

    President Muhammadu Buhari has again expressed serious concern over the current security challenges facing some parts of the country and will stop at nothing to change the tide.

    The National Security Adviser to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno said the president made his feelings known when he summoned an emergency meeting of the National Security Council on Thursday in Abuja.

    According to him, the meeting deliberated on recent security challenges bedeviling the country and made resolutions to review existing strategies in fighting the scourge.

    “Today’s meeting was convened by the President as a continuation of the meeting that took place last week to discuss the technical issues and the taskings that were given to the various security agencies.

    “The meeting deliberated on all those issues, after the brief by the National Security Adviser, which is usually the procedure.

    “Again, Council deems it necessary to inform the general public, that fighting this type of asymmetric conflict is a collective effort. It’s not something that should be confined to only the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

    “When we keep saying whole of society approach, whole of government approach, to get a whole of national approach, what it means is that everybody has to partake in this enterprise.’’

    According to the NSA, no country can ever overcome the difficulties of an asymmetric conflict by virtue of the fact that the enemy of the state is embedded within the population within the wider society.

    “It is true that the local people are averse, they’re scared, they’re worried and there’s no confidence.

    “That is understandable. But without their support without the cooperation in terms of giving information, it makes it very hard for the operational elements.

    “A few days ago, troops of the guards brigade were ambushed and decimated.

    “Had there been a collective effort by way of just snippets of information we might have averted that incident, that is not to say that the responsibility is for those outside the security domain.

    “It’s a collective responsibility,’’ he added.

    He blamed the media for allegedly tilting their report in favour of the terrorists, saying it was indirectly fueling the resolve of them.

    The NSA equally frowned at the utterances of some political elites, including leaders of thought, saying some unguarded utterances were injurious to the society.

    “Furthermore, Council is also concerned about the nature of media reporting incidents with regards to insecurity.

    “It is important for the media to understand that certain reports being generated by the media, either the way the manner in which they report can also aggravate this delicate situation.

    “So Council is urging the media to be very careful in whatever it reports, whatever gets out to the public space, can have a debilitating effect on the population.

    “Equally, the political elite is also urged to take into account the consequences of utterances, especially from people who have established a reputation, people who are considered leaders of thought, people who are considered to have some kind of influence in society.

    “Whatever goes out, may be harmful, not just to the government, if that is the intention, which I doubt may not be a deliberate thing, but at the end of the day, it will affect the wider society”.

    While confirming how the president is reacting to the security situation, Monguno said:

    “We are in a very difficult situation. And Council understands. Mr. President understands people’s concerns about the growing insecurity.

    “But I can assure you that there’s no straight cut and dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other.

    “I know people are weary people are tired people are beginning to gravitate to other places for self-help. The truth is that help is rooted in everyone working for the other person.

    “Again, the members of the armed forces have also made a commitment that in the coming weeks they have already started working on a new strategy to deal with these snippets of violence.

    “They’ve given their word their commitment to the President, that there will be a change in momentum, regardless of the fact that there might be certain institutional limitations which they face. But they understood the enormity of the responsibilities that they have,’’ he added.

    Monguno revealed that the Council had commenced the process of winding up the special investigative panel on the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre.

    “The idea is to come up with recommendations, hold those who are supposed to be held accountable for their deeds and to ensure that this type of thing never ever, ever happens again in this country.

    “In a nutshell, that was what Council deliberated on,’’ he said.

    Others in attendance included the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema; Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi and the Minister of Defense, retired Maj-Gen. Bashir Magashi.

    The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao; and the Chief of Defense Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Samuel Adebayo, were also in attendance.

    The Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Usman; the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar also attended the meeting.

  • House of Reps member calls for sack of NSA

    House of Reps member calls for sack of NSA

    Amember of the House of Representatives, Nasir Ali (APC, Kano), has called for sack of the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, over lives lost to insecurity across the country.

    In his words: “The development calls for sack of the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, he has failed to live up to expectations.”

    Ali made his position known during seating of the House of Representatives on Thursday.

    However, the House of Representatives adjourned plenary and suspended activities for the day in solidarity with the people that lost their lives recently due to insecurity.

    For over one hour, members took turns to cast aspersions on security agencies for killings and attacks by terrorists and other criminal elements.

    The members also insisted the executive and legislature should share in the blame of the rising insecurity, adding there is no part of the country that is safe any longer for Nigerians.

    Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, who presided over plenary, said all referral to the Committee in charge of national security since the inception of the 9th Assembly has been left unattended to with no single report for the House to consider.

  • NSA Monguno names three groups supporting terrorist organisations

    NSA Monguno names three groups supporting terrorist organisations

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), Retired Major-General Babagana Monguno, has named three groups supporting terrorist organisations in the Sahel region.

    He identified them as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (GSIM), and Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS).

    Monguno made the disclosure on Tuesday in a speech delivered at the 14th Workshop of the League of Ulamas, Preachers and Imams of Sahel countries in Abuja.

    “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,” he said.

    “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, according to the NSA, has never been grimmer as extremist violence continues to spread with the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) rising and increasing rate of food insecurity.

    For him, there is a need to reassess and reset foreign and regional government strategies towards the Sahel and set aside faulty assumptions.

    Monguno asked the international community and its Sahelian partners to prioritise governance, cautiously pursue an expanded peace process through dialogue, and push for the adoption of more non-kinetic measures through affected communities.

    He, however, stated that the possibility of ISWAP creating an established caliphate to rival Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) countries has been checkmated by a series of concerted and reinvigorated efforts of the countries of the region.

    According to the NSA, the adoption of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches by 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.”

  • Insecurity: Accepting to dialogue with bandits sign of weakness, incapacitation – FG

    Insecurity: Accepting to dialogue with bandits sign of weakness, incapacitation – FG

    The Federal Government on Thursday said engaging bandits in dialogue will portray the government as weak and incapacitated.

    The government said rather than dialogue, it will apply its full weight to deal with the criminals and will not be blackmailed by any group of people into negotiating with those who threaten the nation’s peace.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that this was revealed by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno on Thursday at a State House briefing in Aso Villa, Abuja.

    He argued that dialoguing with insurgents paints the government as weak and incapable.

    “The government is tackling the problem of insecurity, we’ve said this many times that there are two phases in solving this problem –the soft approach: talking, negotiating, and so on and so forth.

    “While the government is not averse to talking to these entities, these human beings, I have to be very honest, the government has to apply its weight, that force that is required because you can’t even talk with people who are unreliable people, who will turn out to do a different thing and people who will continue to hurt society.

    “So, basically, what the government wants to rely upon is to deal with this issue by using all the assets – military assets, intelligence assets to eliminate these people,” the NSA said.

    He added that “If along the line, some of them are ready to come out and talk and negotiate, when the time comes, we will do that but for now, we can’t keep on dwelling on ‘Let’s dialogue’.

    “Psychologically, it is not even good for us, it paints the picture of weakness, it paints the picture of incapacity and I, just like the governor of Kaduna State said, do not see any reason why we cannot, with what we have, deal with these elements.

    “These are not people who are looking for anything that is genuine (or) legitimate; these are people who are just out to perform atrocities, to take calculated measures to inflict pain, violence on people.

    “At the slightest opportunity, they go haywire. And so, it is important for us to realize that we are dealing with people who are not looking for anything, people who without provocation will give birth to their homicidal instincts. We must deal with them the way they have to be dealt with.”

    Monguno said further that Nigeria is faced with a new type of (asymmetrical) war, adding that issues of a gross deficiency in equipment and lack of personnel have played a part in the way things are at the moment.

    He, however, believes that the change of security chiefs brings a ray of hope and will help fix all lapses that may exist.

  • FG moves to curb criminalities committed via social media

    FG moves to curb criminalities committed via social media

    The federal government of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja launched the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy 2021 with the view to curb criminalities committed via social media.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy 2021 will serve as replacement for the maiden National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy of 2014.

    Speaking during the launch, President Muhammadu Buhari called for a total overhaul of the national strategy on cyber security, urging more emphasis on exploring the internet for economic growth opportunities, enhancement of knowledge and mitigation of crime.

    “I urge the National Security Adviser to continue to coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders to ensure that our Internet and cyberspace are used for the enhancement of national security and economic progression.

    “I am confident that, together, we can pave the way for the creation of new opportunities to usher Nigeria into a bright future driven by a prosperous cyberspace and digital economy,’’ the President said.

    The President noted that the Federal Government had taken some major policy decisions to increase penetration of the internet in the daily lives of citizens, particularly for the utilitarian purpose, with launch of National Broadband Plan 2020 – 2025 in March 2020; National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020 – 2030; National Identity Program, Treasury Single Account and Bank Verification Number schemes.

    “All these initiatives serve as enablers for tackling many of the economic and security challenges facing our country while also providing us with the platform to improve accountability and transparency in our unwavering resolve to tackle corruption.

    “However, like many other countries across the globe, the growth and development of the internet is accompanied by significant problems. We are witnessing a rise in threats posed by cybercriminals, online financial fraudsters and cyber terrorists who use the internet to cause apprehension,’’ the President said.

    He added that the internet and social media have witnessed a surge for propagation of hate speech, fake news, seditious and treasonable messages, as well as the risks of breaches to personal information and government sensitive data.

    “It is almost impossible to overstate the challenges. Some global events such as the rapid emergence of new technologies, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the advent of 5G technology, have further widened the scope and diversification of these cyber threats.

    “In October 2020, we all witnessed an escalation in the use of the social media for dissemination of subversive messages and incitement of violence which played a part in heightening tensions, causing unrest and spurring widespread acts of looting and destruction across the country.’’

    President Buhari said the Federal Government had been proactive, over the past couple of years, in taking steps to ensure progressive use of internet and cyberspace.

    “In 2014, the maiden National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy was developed to provide the necessary roadmap for the realisation of our national cybersecurity programme. This national effort paved way for Nigeria to reach numerous cybersecurity milestones over the past six years.

    “Therefore, in order to build on this achievement and reposition ourselves for enhanced engagement in cyberspace, it became expedient to review the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy 2014 and develop a comprehensive National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy 2021 for the common good of our country.’’

    According to the President, the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy 2021 will provide us with the necessary platform to effectively confront the dynamic nature of threats in our cyberspace.

    “The document will also provide the framework that would enable us to harness the efforts of our private sector, academia and industry towards progressive economic and national development.

    “To this end, the document will provide the platform for technical education, digital skills acquisition and indigenous technology production, thereby creating job opportunities for our youth and supporting our resolve to alleviate poverty and boost our economy.’’

    In his remarks at the event, the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), said there had been a surge in the use of the internet, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown around the world, with increasing waves of crimes, irregular migration and threats to border security.

    The NSA noted that many platforms including banking, communication and military had come under more threat, with personal information easily distorted and explored, necessitating a review of the 2014 National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS).

    He said the reviewed document will work towards mitigating the “suffocating presence and unpredictable threats’’ of cybercrimes.

  • [Exclusive] Tramadol: NSA raises alarm over name change to Tafrodol

    [Exclusive] Tramadol: NSA raises alarm over name change to Tafrodol

    …notifies Customs
    …says manufacturers discreetly change name

    …to beat prying eyes of security agencies

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (Retd) has raised alarm that manufacturers of Tramadol have discreetly changed its original name of Tramadol to Trafrodol.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) in a letter exclusively obtained reports the ugly development was contained in a letter dated October 30, addressed to the Comptroller of Customs to be at alert.

    In the letter signed by the NSA, entitled : ‘Suspected Name Change of Tramadol’, the NSA said “Intelligence at the disposal of the Office of the National Security Adviser revealed that manufacturers of Tramadol tablets have discreetly started changing the brand name of TRAMADOL to TAFRODOL to evade detection by officials of the relevant Nigeria security agencies.

    Recall that Tramadol was banned by the Federal Government due to its massive abuse by youths to get to ‘cloud 7” and it has serious side effects.

    Read full letter below:

    OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER

    The Comptroller General
    Nigeria Customs Service
    National Headquarter
    Wuse Zone 3
    ABUJA

    30th October 2020

    Dear Sir,

    SUSPECTED CHANGE OF NAME OF TRAMADOL

    Intelligence at the disposal of the Office of the National Security Adviser revealed that manufacturers of Tramadol tablets have discreetly started changing the brand name of TRAMADOL to TAFRODOL to evade detection by officials of the relevant Nigeria security agencies.

    2 In view of the above, the NCS may wish to alert its officials at Nigeria’s points of entry to watch out for this brand of drug coming into the country In this regard you are requested to circulate this information to all the Customs formation and physical examination baser) for the detection and detention of such suspected drugs and the ONSA be notified accordingly.

    3 While thanking you for your continued cooperation, please accept Sir, the assurances of my highest esteem and best regards as always.

    BABAGANA MONGUNO
    Major General (rtd)
    National Security Adviser