President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the new office of
the national security adviser (ONSA) and national counterterrorism centre
(NCTC).
The two state-of-the-art facilities are meant to optimise
efforts at addressing evolving security challenges in the country, especially
terrorism and violent extremism.
Speaking at the inauguration of the facilities on Tuesday,
the president said they would serve as a major legacy to provide the incoming
administration with infrastructure to effectively coordinate national security
and counterterrorism efforts.
He said the inauguration of the structures was a demonstration
of his administration’s firm commitment to ensuring national security
capabilities were kept abreast with the highest global standards.
Buhari said the offices were designed to enhance strategic
response to a broad range of current and emerging security concerns.
He added that Nigeria exists in an interconnected world and
therefore must be able to face and respond to both domestic and global security
challenges.
“I can confidently state here today that we have achieved
significant milestones in degrading the major threat and restoring normalcy to
most of the hitherto securitised areas in the north-east,” he said.
“These areas
previously occupied by terrorists have been freed and internally displaced
persons are voluntarily returning to their homes.
“This was largely achieved through the valiant efforts of
our armed forces and other security agencies, in collaboration with our
regional and international partners but above all, the support and cooperation
of the Nigerian citizens.”
Buhari also expressed delight that the government had curbed
a series of armed banditry and kidnapping cases in the north-west and
north-central zones.
He said these criminal acts had emerged as a result of the
scattering of Boko Haram in the north-east and the implosion of Libya in the
Maghreb.
SEPARATIST AGITATIONS
The president further noted that agitators in the south-east
and to a much lesser extent the south-west, who have been demonstrating
separatist tendencies were being checkmated.
“Meanwhile, issues of crude oil theft, sea robbery, piracy
and militancy in the south-south are equally being addressed,” he added.
“Most of these threats have transnational linkages thereby
reinforcing the need for regional and international cooperation as critical
enablers to enhance our national security.”
STATE OF SECURITY
Buhari also expressed delight in the state of maritime
security, noting that some key threats within Nigeria’s maritime environment
such as piracy, sea robbery, crude oil theft as well as illegal unregulated and
unreported fishing were being tackled.
He said between August 2018 and March 2023, over 220 vessels
involved in maritime criminality within Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone, up
to the Republic of Togo, had been prosecuted.
Buhari commended the Falcon eye maritime domain awareness
project, domiciled with the Nigerian navy and coordinated by ONSA, for
providing high-quality real-time intelligence, leading to the arrest and
prosecution of economic saboteurs.
He said over 87 oil tankers involved in various crude oil
and product theft had been arrested, adding that the theft of over 3 million
barrels of crude oil was prevented and 15 million litres of petrol and diesel
were recovered.
On cyber threats, the president underscored the importance
of protecting Nigeria’s cyberspace from all forms of intrusion.
“To further
complement these efforts, I will soon be endorsing the presidential order for
the designation and protection of critical national information
infrastructure,” he added.
“This is bearing in mind that cyberspace creates a nexus for
synchronising efforts of our security and law enforcement agencies towards
addressing numerous security challenges.”
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