Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday, said Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist groups were exploiting weak governance structures to expand their influence in Nigeria, West Africa and the Sahel region.
NAF, which position aligned with the federal government’s, also stated that porous borders in the Lake Chad Basin had allowed the extremist elements to sustain their activities, posing a persistent threat to national security and regional stability.
The federal government, which also identified porous borders, added that ungoverned spaces also constituted major factors exacerbating terrorism and other emerging security threats in West Africa and the Sahel region.
Speaking at the first quarter meeting with Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), and Commandants, at NAF headquarters in Abuja, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, called for the implementation of a comprehensive and integrated counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system to safeguard troops and air assets.
Abubakar said the key lesson from asymmetric warfare across the globe, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa, was the rise in the use of the electromagnetic spectrum, artificial intelligence, drone warfare, and the manipulation of social media in shaping war narratives.
He stated, “We must critically examine these trends and quickly develop specific strategies, including refining doctrines and utilising advanced technological capabilities, to enhance our overall effectiveness in tackling contemporary and future security challenges, particularly those posed by conventional and unconventional forces in asymmetric warfare.
“Talking about asymmetric warfare, it is clear that West Africa’s security landscape in 2024 remained highly complex. The Sahel region continued to be a hotspot for terrorism and insurgency, with Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist groups exploiting weak governance structures to expand their influence.
“Similarly, the Gulf of Guinea remains vulnerable to maritime crimes, including piracy and illegal oil bunkering, necessitating sustained aerial surveillance and stronger regional cooperation to bolster maritime security.”
The CAS stated that addressing the challenges required a unified approach, emphasising coordinated air operations, intelligence sharing, and strategic partnerships.
Stressing that a significant incident in 2024 was the employment of drones carrying locally fabricated grenades in a kamikaze role by Boko Haram terrorists to attack troops in Wajiroko, Damboa Local Government Area, Abubakar said this incident underscored the growing efforts of terrorists to proliferate drone attack technology.
He said, “Therefore, while leveraging advancements in technology and modern warfare to enhance the NAF’s operational effectiveness, it is equally critical to implement a comprehensive and integrated counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system to safeguard our troops and air assets.”
FG: Porous Borders, Ungoverned Spaces, Exacerbate Terrorism in W/Africa, Others
The federal government identified porous borders and ungoverned spaces as major factors exacerbating terrorism and other emerging security threats in West Africa and the Sahel region.
The government also said the successes recorded by terrorists had emboldened their operational capabilities, with their attempted expansion towards coastal West African countries, such as the Benin Republic.
National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major General Adamu Laka, made the assertions at the opening of a two-day regional dialogue on strengthening capacities for promoting efficiency in implementing the Accra Initiative and engaging critical actors, organised by NCTC, in collaboration with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre (KAIPTC), in Abuja.
Laka stressed that as Accra Initiative member countries faced increased threats and attacks from extremists across their northern borders, the need for a stronger security mechanism had become even more imperative.
He said, “Considering the nature of terrorism and transnational organised crimes, which are exacerbated by ungoverned and porous border areas, promoting synergy among coastal West African countries is crucial to effectively counter the threats.”
Stating that no nation could solely combat the menace, as it transcended national borders, Laka said, “This is witnessed in the tri-border region of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.”
He stressed the need for synergy among concerned nations in order to prevent the southward expansion of terrorism and, ultimately, curb the menace in the sub-region.
Laka said it was in that regard that the regional dialogue on strengthening capacities for promoting efficiency in the implementation of the Accra Initiative and critical actors was organised.
He stated that the platform would be used for deliberation on common regional security challenges and gaps in the efficient implementation of the Accra Initiative.
Commandant of KAIPTC, Major General Richard Gyane, stated that the security situation in the Sahel was increasingly deteriorating, hence, the need for dialogue on how to curb this trend.
Gyane said the Sahel and West Africa faced unprecedented security challenges that transcended borders, affecting lives, livelihoods, and the stability of nations, which called for immediate attention and concerted efforts.
He stressed that the 2023 Global Terrorism Index had cast a stark spotlight on the Sahel as the epicentre of global terrorism, a reality that demanded urgent, collaborative, and innovative responses.
Gyane stated, “In just over a decade, from 2007 to 2023, we have witnessed an alarming surge in terrorist activities, particularly in the Sahel. In 2007, the region accounted for only one per cent of the global death toll due to terrorism.
“However, by 2023, this figure skyrocketed to a staggering 43 per cent. Violent extremist groups have progressively moved from Mali to Burkina Faso, now accounting for 58 per cent of all violent extremist attacks in the Sahel.
“Such activities are gradually spreading to littoral countries, such as Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Togo, with increasing concerns about their potential expansion towards Ghana as well.”
Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at KAIPTC, Dr. Emma Birikorang, stated that the threats of terrorism, violent extremism, and other transnational organised crimes, as well as youth bulge and demographic factors in West Africa, and unconstitutional regime changes over the last decade, continued to pose a significant problem to the region.
In her goodwill message, Peace and Governance Analyst at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ghana Office, Ms. Melody Azinim, emphasised, “As a region, we need to look inward and refrain from relying on external funding to maintain peace and develop our region.”
