FG Calls for Support to Cut Off Source of Funding for Terrorism

While the military intensifies efforts to curb the menace of terrorism, the Federal Government yesterday restated its call for support, especially from the international community, to trace and cut off the source of funding for the insurgents.

The Minister of Defence, General Aliyu Gusau (Rtd), made this disclosure in an interview with journalists at the closing ceremony of Exercise Obangame 2014, an international maritime security interdiction hosted by the Nigerian Navy (NN), involving 23 countries from Africa, United States and Europe.

At the closing ceremony hosted by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jirbin, the minister who was represented by the Minister of State    for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said already the Federal Government has been collaborating with the international community to end the reign of terror. 

He said although Nigeria has been battling with the challenge of insurgency, it is also pertinent to note that America and other world power blocks with the vast resources within their reach, have been unable to tame terrorism.

He said, "American and the Western world are the richest in the world, yet they have not been able to tame terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya despite the resources they have put together.

"So same experience is what we are going through in Nigeria and don't forget that this activities today have international dimension and that is why we are cooperating and collaborating with the international community to bring this to an end.

"The  world is a global village and that is why we are saying that when funding is coming from overseas, that is not Nigeria and we are saying that there is an international dimension we are going through.

"We are not saying the whole world should come and join us and fight, rather we are saying that we want support to cut off the source of funding which will to a large extent help us to bringing it to a finality."

Speaking on piracy, crude oil theft and other maritime illegalities especially in the Gulf of Guinea, the minister also called for a pull of resources to tackle the menace, adding that measures are on ground to provide adequate funding for the NN.

He said, "Given the activities of pirates and the idea of capacity building, I want you to note that the world has become a global village and what affects one country definitely affects the other.

"So we need to pull resources together to fight one common cause, this kind of exercise makes a lot of sense. It was extremely helpful for today and tomorrow."

In an interview with me, the CNS, Vice Admiral Jibrin, while commending the efforts of the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Commanding, Rear Admiral Sanmi Alade, for curbing the menace of piracy and crude oil theft within Lagos anchorage, said 39 vessels have been arrested so far.

He said, "In our contemporary world, the maritime environment is increasingly threatened by a myriad of security challenges such as piracy, poaching, smuggling, illegal bunkering, crude oil theft and other transnational crimes.

"However, under my watch, we have declared zero tolerance for all these within the country’s waterways, particularly as it concerns oil theft and illegal bunkering. Already, we have arrested 39 vessels for carrying out illegal activities within the past four months.

"The Nigerian Navy is ready in all respect to carry out its roles, mainly as it concerns patrol of the water ways and reducing oil theft at sea."