The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group has commended governors of the 19 Northern states for setting up a joint Security Intervention funds to fight insecurity in the region, noting that it represents commitment and determination to tackle the menace.
A statement signed by the Convener of the Group, Chief Jacob Edi said with the commitment shown by the northern governors, the onus is now on the federal government ” to expeditiously disclose the identities of individuals, organisations and networks implicated in the financing of terrorism within Nigeria without further delay”.
It will be recalled that at the end of its meeting in Kaduna recently, the governors of the 19 Northern states resolved to set up joint security intervention fund with each of the governors of the nineteen northern states contributing one billion naira monthly to tackle insecurity in the region.
According to the Northern Nigeria Minority Group, “this collective initiative represents a commendable demonstration of regional leadership, signaling a renewed commitment to confronting the persistent threats of terrorism and banditry with coherence and purpose”.
Chief Edi in the statement challenged the federal government to act decisively by expeditiously releasing the “the identities of individuals, organisations and networks implicated in the financing of terrorism within Nigeria without further delay. The government possesses the requisite intelligence architecture to ascertain these actors, and the Nigerian public is entitled to full transparency on an issue that has exacted a devastating toll on lives, infrastructure and socio-economic stability.
“Nigeria’s institutional frameworks, including the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Bank Verification Number system , the National Identity Card Numbers and other statutory monitoring mechanisms, offer robust capacity to detect, trace and disrupt the illicit financial flows that sustain violent groups. Those who underwrite these atrocities have undermined national cohesion for far too long, and continued opacity serves only to embolden them.
“We also note with confidence the renewed momentum under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose administration has intensified security operations nationwide. The early outcomes of these efforts are evident and reflect a more assertive and coordinated national security posture.
“It remains our considered position that the publication of terrorism financiers, combined with the current operational tempo of the security services, will substantially advance Nigeria’s trajectory toward eliminating terrorism and restoring durable peace. The nation stands at a critical inflection point, and transparency is indispensable to consolidating and sustaining the gains recorded thus far”.