Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for the creation of a regional anti-terrorism center in Africa, the country's presidency said on Monday.
"President Bola Tinubu has called for establishment of a regional counter-terrorism center that will serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building throughout Africa," the statement read.
The Nigerian president, speaking at the high-level meeting on counter-terrorism in Abuja, also pointed to the need to implement the African Union (AU) decision of May 2022 on the formation of an all-inclusive AU Ministerial Committee on Counter-Terrorism. He said that structures such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit in Abuja, the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism in Algiers, and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa in Addis Ababa must be strengthened in every possible way.
Furthermore, Tinubu recalled the importance of implementing the long-proposed idea of creating a rapid reaction force in Africa, which could be used not only in regional conflicts but also to combat terrorist activities.
Tinubu also stressed that to effectively combat terrorism, Africa must address its roots, "which include poverty, inequality, and social injustice," while also combating unlawful activities that "feed" terrorism — ransom and illegal mining.
Moreover, the entire world should take part in this fight.
"We shall be knocking on this door of the international community to answer this call for justice, peace, and fair play," Tinubu said.
Speaking about Nigeria's efforts to combat terrorism, Tinubu stated that the country's counterterrorism capabilities have been strengthened by the introduction of the Terrorist Prevention and Prohibition Act, which established the National Counter Terrorism Center.
The head of state also urged action to stop the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Africa and reaffirmed his country's commitment to engage with regional partners to tighten arms control measures, improve border security, and disrupt illegal trafficking networks that "fuel" terrorism.
Lastly, the president assured that Nigeria is doing everything possible to deal with the problem, including addressing the "economic and social enablers," "enhancing intelligence gathering," and "strengthening the judiciary to effectively deal with cases of terrorism."
Nigeria has been suffering from terrorist attacks for many years. The most recent crime committed by Boko Haram was the kidnapping of 232 students and teachers in Kaduna State in mid-March. The terrorists demanded a 1 billion naira (about $809,110) ransom. All those abducted were freed last week, thanks to the efforts of the Nigerian military.
* A terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other states.