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ECOWAS Speaker Decries Rising Terrorism Violent Extremism , Organised Crime in West Africa

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ECOWAS Speaker Decries Rising Terrorism Violent Extremism , Organised Crime in West Africa

By: Michael Mike

Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima, has decried the increasing surge in the threat of terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime in West African sub-region.

Speaking during the 2024 First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Ibrahima expressed gratitude to Almighty God, Creator and Originator of all things, saying that out of His unending kindness, he has enabled the parliament to meet at the National Assembly, which is highly symbolic of the Parliament’s commitment to viable and sincere sub-regional integration.

Ibrahima who said that the session is taking place in a difficult international context for the entire planet earth, insisted that as the world had barely emerged from pandemics and epidemics, although not fully, but still grappling with a number of scourges and challenges, such as poverty, climate change, the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the conflict in the Middle East, to name but a few.

She said: “Unfortunately, the problems are compounded by another phenomenon of staggering proportions in the region, namely the upsurge in the threat of terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime, which is costing the lives of our valiant defence and security forces, as well as thousands of innocent people.”

Ibrahim’s said there are various political, economic and security crises in several member states which the 6th Legislature must urgently help to address, adding that:
“These include the desire expressed by three of our member states to withdraw from the Community, as well as the growing tensions between the Republics of Benin and Niger, not to mention other constant concerns in the region such as terrorism, food insecurity, irregular migration and the adverse effects of climate change.”

She noted that discussions on the various issues led to the adoption by Parliament of what is known as the “Kano Declaration,”
stressing that by means of the declaration, the ECOWAS Parliament resolved, among other things, to set up an ad hoc mediation committee to initiate and maintain not only dialogue with the authorities of the different countries, but also communication among the various populations.

She noted that the Parliament also resolved to conduct field visits to understand and help settle disagreements between the two friendly and sister nations, Benin and Niger and to encourage the ECOWAS Commission to expedite the implementation of the joint defence strategy to fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

“I want to assure you that, during its last two meetings, the Bureau of Parliament discussed these recommendations at length, and urgent actions are being taken in collaboration with other ECOWAS institutions to implement them,” Ibrahima disclosed.

In his remarks, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said besides the many threats related to peace and security, as well as challenges related to poverty, the West African region is also facing the risks of disintegration.

He said: “As you all know, on January 29th, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger notified the Commission of their intention to leave ECOWAS with immediate effect.

“Our people – the people of West Africa – have lived within an integrated ECOWAS community for several decades. Populations have benefited from freedom of movement within our ECOWAS space and have begun to perceive the advantages of our common market where local products are traded freely in a market of over 400 million inhabitants. In addition, the use of a common passport and a common biometric identity card for travel within our community space has been introduced.

“Given these advantages, it is clear that disintegration will not only disrupt the freedom of movement and establishment of people, but it will also aggravate insecurity in the region. More specifically, the withdrawal of the three aforementioned countries will deal a severe blow to security cooperation, particularly in terms of intelligence sharing and participation in the fight against regional terrorism and other joint security initiatives, such as the operationalization of the ECOWAS standby force that our member states’ defense ministers have just agreed to activate, as well as the Accra Initiative and the Multinational Joint Taskforce,” Touray said.
Touray also said the withdrawal of the three countries could also lead to diplomatic and political isolation on the international stage, as the countries will no longer be able to benefit from bloc support when their citizens or candidates seek international positions within the African Union, the United Nations, and similar bodies.
“This withdrawal will also affect travel and immigration conditions for citizens of these three countries, as they will now have to apply for visas before traveling within the sub-region. Citizens of these countries may no longer be able to reside or freely create businesses within the facilities established by ECOWAS and may be subject to various national laws. Additionally, these three countries will have to cease using ECOWAS passports, the ECOWAS biometric national identity card, and the ECOWAS “Brown Card” automobile insurance on a regional scale.
“Economically and financially, the withdrawal of the three member states could lead to the cessation or suspension of all projects and programs implemented by ECOWAS in these countries, valued at over 500 million US dollars.
“It is also worth noting that the two regional financial institutions, namely the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), have significant investments in these three countries. EBID has 27 projects currently in these three countries, with a total value estimated at around 321.634 million US dollars, of which 38.1 percent are public sector projects and 61.9 percent are private sector projects. The banking portfolio in these three countries represents approximately 22.5 percent of the total bank portfolio in the 15 member states. The three countries have contributed a total of 33.135 million US dollars to the bank’s capital.
“Institutionally, it is worth noting that the withdrawal of the three countries will result in the closure of four ECOWAS regional entities in Burkina Faso, two ECOWAS regional bodies in Mali, and one ECOWAS regional office in Niger. This will also affect the job security of approximately 130 ECOWAS staff citizens of the three countries, distributed as follows: 77 from Burkina Faso; 23 from Mali; and 32 from Niger,” Touray also said.

ECOWAS Speaker Decries Rising Terrorism Violent Extremism , Organised Crime in West Africa

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PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK IN NGOSHE, GWOZA LGA IN BORNO STATE

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PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK IN NGOSHE, GWOZA LGA IN BORNO STATE
 
By: Our Reporter

President Bola Tinubu has expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected by the recent terrorist attack by Boko Haram on the Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
 
The President mourns the loss of innocent lives, including military personnel, and those caught in friendly fire during the aerial interdiction of fleeing terrorists by the Air Force.
 
He describes the attack by the terrorists as a heartless assault on hapless citizens, urging Nigerians in Borno and elsewhere not to succumb to fear.
 
President Tinubu commends the military for their swift response, which led to the killing of scores of terrorists and their subsequent forced retreat.
 
He charges the military and other security agencies to work urgently to rescue those kidnapped by the terrorists.
 
Additionally, he directs the armed forces to intensify their efforts to protect civilians nationwide and prevent attacks on military installations in the North East.
 
President Tinubu prays for the souls of those who lost their lives in the attacks and friendly fire and extends his sympathies to their families and the Borno State Government.

PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK IN NGOSHE, GWOZA LGA IN BORNO STATE

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Borno State Command Celebrates 2026 World International Civil Defence Day in Grand Style

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Borno State Command Celebrates 2026 World International Civil Defence Day in Grand Style

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The Borno State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) recently marked the 2026 World International Civil Defence Day with a weeklong series of activities, themed “Towards a safer society.”

A statement by the command’s spokesperson CSC Bulus James, stated that the celebration began with briefings and sensitization of staff on NSCDC’s critical roles in Crisis Management, Protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Counter-terrorism, and VIP Protection.

On Thursday, 26th February 2026, officers and men, led by Acting Commandant DCC Obe Ndubuisi, embarked on a road match from the State Headquarters through the Kano Motor Park community and concluded at the headquarters, where the Acting Commandant delivered speeches on behalf of Commandant CC Ahmed Bello Gaya, including messages from the Commandant General and the State Commandant.

On the 27th February, 2026, Muslim faithfuls gathered at Al-Ansar Masjid for Jumaat prayers, with ACG CBRNE Hameed Abudurin from NHQ Abuja in attendance as Special Guest of Honour.

He was also present at the Passing Out Parade (POP) of a joint special training program held at the Nigerian Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Training School, Maiduguri, in collaboration with UNMAS which offered him the opportunity to celebrate alongside the Muslim faithfuls.

Prayers were offered by the Chief Imam Borno State, and NSCDC. Worshippers expressed gratitude for NSCDC’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives, property, and critical national assets.

This was followed by the grand finale at the NSCDC Glorious Chapel which held a special Sunday service at the Command’s multipurpose hall, attended by guests from sister security agencies on 1st March, 2026

Goodwill messages were delivered, followed by a keynote address from Commandant CC Ahmed Bello Gaya, delivered by Acting Commandant Obe Ndubuisi.

.DCC Paul Ochola delivered an exhortation on “Selfless Service to Humanity: Towards a Safer Environment.” The service concluded with pleasantries and a group photograph.

Borno State Command Celebrates 2026 World International Civil Defence Day in Grand Style

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Zulum Pays Sympathy Visit to Victims of Ngoshe Attack, Assures Rescue of Abducted Residents

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Zulum Pays Sympathy Visit to Victims of Ngoshe Attack, Assures Rescue of Abducted Residents

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has commiserated with the people of Ngoshe affected by the recent Boko Haram attack, describing the incident as tragic.

Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza local government, was attacked on Tuesday evening, scores were killed, while others were abducted.

Addressing members of the community on Friday in Pulka, Governor Zulum said he personally came to sympathize with the affected people and families of those that lost their loved ones.

He assured that efforts are underway to rescue all those abducted, restore security, and provide humanitarian support to victims.

“We are here today to commiserate with the people of Ngoshe that have lost their loved ones following the unfortunate incident that occurred on Tuesday. The situation is very sad and our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy,” Zulum said.

“I want to assure you that we will do everything possible to address the unfortunate situation that has befallen this community, and for those who have been abducted, the Nigerian military will do everything within its capacity to rescue them,” Zulum assured.

Governor Zulum explained that military operations are currently ongoing in Ngoshe and the Sambisa Forest to rid the area of criminal elements.

“There are ongoing military operations within the Sambisa Game Reserve. What we witnessed yesterday was largely a result of insurgents being pushed out from their strongholds, which led them to launch coordinated attacks on nearby communities,” he explained.

He called on the Nigerian Army to intensify operations to clear insurgents from the Mandara Hills which he described as a major security threat.

“The Mandara Hills remain a major security concern. The insurgents descended from the hills to attack this town. Therefore, I call on the Nigerian Army and the Federal Government to intensify efforts to clear Mandara Hills of insurgents,” Zulum said.

The governor noted that the exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed as assessments are still ongoing, but acknowledged that several lives were lost while others were abducted.

As part of immediate humanitarian intervention, the governor said the state government had begun distributing relief materials and establishing cooking points to provide food for displaced residents.

“For now, we will distribute food items to those affected and I have directed that cooking points be established so that everyone in this community can receive meals from a central kitchen,” he said.

The governor appealed to residents to remain calm and law-abiding, noting that Borno State government will double its efforts to end this madness. “We shall not relent in our commitment to restoring lasting peace and stability in the state,” he said.

“I strongly believe that with sustained military operations and cooperation between all levels of government, we will overcome this challenge. Insha Allah, peace will return fully to our land,” the governor added.

Similarly, Governor Babagana Zulum inspected houses burned during an attack by Boko Haram insurgents on Thursday in Konduga town.

Zulum Pays Sympathy Visit to Victims of Ngoshe Attack, Assures Rescue of Abducted Residents

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