The National Coordinator of the National Counter-Rican Center (NCTC) at the Office of the National Security Advisor (Onsa), Maj.-GEN. Adamu Garba Laka, on Wednesday, confirmed the arrest of some suspects that specialized in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (FDI) used by terrorists in the country.
General Adamu Garba Laka, who revealed this during an interview on Wednesday in a symposium to counteract the improvised explosive devices (FDI), organized by the center in collaboration with the United States and the British governments, in Abuja, added that the federal government, through the center, had also begun a judicial process to those who are prosecuted, and after the conviction, and after the conviction, they would The law prescribed it.
He explained that due to the threat raised by IEDS, the Office of the National Security Advisor (Onsa) has taken measures to regulate the use of materials such as urea fertilizer in the Northeast, which terrorists explode to manufacture IED.
According to him, “but this has not stopped the threat because insurgents have been able to obtain things from the market, common things, to manufacture these FDI, etc. but we will not give in our part. We will continue to educate the population.
“Then, we are developing a biometric database at the National Security Advisor office. We are working closely with all security and intelligence agencies. This biometric database will be used to identify those who are experts in manufacturing these FDI. We are working in close collaboration with the governments of the United States and British in that and other security and intelligence agencies.
“And for punishments for those who manufacture these FDI, we have identified some, and are currently waiting for the judicial process. We will not only punish them on our own. Nigeria is a signatory to the laws and best international human rights practices, etc. Then we follow the rule of law. They are innocent until it is proven guilty. Then we have to go through the judicial process. “
He pointed out that the NCTC had remained proactive in its approach to address the threat of FDI in the country.
He said that the collaboration of the Federal Government with foreign partners has yielded results with the establishment of a counterattack center in Maiduguri, Borno state, by the British government.
According to him, “they have been training our troops during the last four years, and this has greatly affected the competition of our troops in the identification of FDI, avoiding such incidents and also reacting after such an incident. Samples of the IED site are taken to our laboratory in the center to discover the materials that are used so that we can know where our approach will be restricted that these materials are in their hands.”
In addition, he added that the government was working closely with the United States government to establish a similar FDI center soon.
The NCTC chief said the symposium was timely and critical, since it provides a platform for experts and interested parties to deliberate on innovative strategies to counteract this threat.
“Our collective objective is to improve national capacities to prevent, detect and respond to incidents of improvised explosive devices,” he said.
“The provision of external experience in this field would also complement Nigeria's experience and domain to assess whether a national strategy of improvised explosive devices would be beneficial for the implementation in Nigeria. We must examine the existing gaps, address vulnerabilities in our operational environments and improve coordination between key agencies. “
The United States defense attachment to Nigeria, who represented the United States ambassador to Nigeria, Colonel Thomas Brooks, said that the United States remained a committed security partner for the Nigerian army and would continue to help Nigeria defeat IED's challenging threat in the country.
Experts have identified FDI as a great threat to troops, civilians and infrastructure in the fight against terrorism in the country.
Speaking while declaring the symposium open, General Adamu Laka had warned that the use of improvised explosive devices (FDI) remains one of the most serious threats for Nigeria security personnel and national stability.
He highlighted the devastating IED impact on both military operations and civil infrastructure, saying that “its impact extends beyond the lines of civil populations, critical infrastructure.”
The NCTC coordinator said that the growing ease of IED manufacturing using commercially available materials has made them a persistent and evolving challenge for security forces.
The Symposium, organized in collaboration with the High British Commission and the United States Embassy, ​​aims to develop a national strategy to counteract the threat effectively.
General Laka emphasized the importance of strengthening Nigeria's anti -terrorism efforts through collaboration, intelligence exchange and capacity construction.
He asked the security agencies to examine the existing gaps and improve coordination to prevent, detect and respond to IED incidents more efficiently.
With the growing use of FDI by terrorist groups, the symposium is expected to promote discussions on innovative countermeasures and improve Nigeria's preparation against the growing threat.
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