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ECOWAS Speaker Decries Rising Terrorism Violent Extremism , Organised Crime in West Africa
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
Retired Delta High Court Judge found murdered in Asaba Delta
By: Zagazola Makama
A retired Delta State High Court judge, Justice Ifeoma Okogwu, was found murdered at her residence in Asaba on Monday morning.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the victim, was discovered lifeless in her sitting room at No. 8 Tom Halen Street, behind IBTC Bank, with her hands and legs tied and her mouth covered with a wrapper.
Her brother, Emeka Okogwu, reported the incident to the Police at about 8:00 a.m. while visiting her home. Following the report, patrol teams were deployed to the scene.
The on-duty security guard, Lucky Matthew, was arrested for questioning, while another guard, Godwin Vanen, was reported missing and is being sought.
The police said the body of Justice Okogwu was evacuated and deposited at Maduemeie Hospital Mortuary, Asaba. Investigation into the motive and identification of the assailants is ongoing.
The case has been transferred to SCID Asaba for discreet investigation.
Retired Delta High Court Judge found murdered in Asaba Delta
NTAC DG Commends CIFCFIN for Giant Strides on 2nd Founders’ Day
By: Michael Mike
The Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has commended the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) for its remarkable achievements since its establishment, describing the Institute’s progress as “giant strides”.
The commendation was made during CIFCFIN’s 2nd Founders’ Day celebration, which took place,Thursday,in Abuja,and also featured the induction of new members, professional practitioners, and Fellows of the Institute; in addition to a few Awards to some deserving individuals.
The event,which was chaired by Hon. Justice Moore Abraham Aseimo of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,had in attendance several dignitaries,including the CIFCIN Founder and Pioneer President,
Dr. Iliyasu Buba Gashinbaki;Alh. Mairiga Aliyu Katuga,Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as Dr. Isa Egah Salifu, Registrar/CEO and Secretary to the Council of CIFCFIN.
Others included the
former EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu; representative of the Development Bank of Nigeria;representative of the Inspector General of Police as well as the representative of the Corps Marshall of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC),among many other senior officials of Government and stakeholders of the Institute.
In his remarks,Rt.Hon. Buba expressed pride in the milestones attained by CIFCFIN, noting that the Institute’s growth reflects a strong commitment to professionalism in forensics and fraud investigation,both of which are critical to Nigeria’s fight against corruption and economic crime.
Among those honoured at the event were the NTAC DG,whose role as the sponsor of the Bill for the establishment of the Institute was applauded by all.
The ceremony concluded with an official photo session with the Institute’s leadership and invited guests.
End
Christian Genocide: Information Minister Asks CSOs to Correct Misinformation About Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has appealed to Civil Society Organisations to help correct the misrepresentations of Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom.
The Minister made the appeal at the 25th Anniversary of ActionAid in Abuja.
He said there is an urgent need for CSOs in the country to counter the narratives by applying evidence-based insights into the Nigerian situation.
Idris while addressing the misconceptions about Nigeria abroad, insisted that the country is not a violator of religious freedom and reaffirmed that such freedoms are clearly guaranteed in the constitution.
The minister who acknowledged security challenges even as he emphasized that government efforts are yielding progress, cautioned against narratives that mischaracterise Nigeria and strain its relations with its partners, particularly the United States.
He admitted lthe government’s responsibility to protect citizens, especially children, stating that “our children must be safe in their schools, safe in their communities, and safe in their homes” and highlighted President Tinubu’s recent declaration of a national emergency on security.
He revealed that the emergency measures include new recruitment into security agencies, support for state-level security outfits, and a push for legislative action towards establishing state police.
He described the declaration as a turning point in the fight against terrorism and banditry.
He called on CSOs to deepen their support for open governance, media freedom, digital literacy, and community development, and affirmed that ActionAid’s contributions in these areas remain “complementary and invaluable” to national progress.
The Minister who was the Chairman of ActionAid Nigeria 25 years anniversary celebration commended AAN for its action, service, and transformative work across the country.
He said, “For a quarter of a century, ActionAid has taken development to the frontlines, empowering women and girls, strengthening education, improving healthcare, advocating for governance reforms, supporting communities during crises, and amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable.”
He noted that ActionAid must be praised for its innumerable responses to challenging humanitarian situations and grassroots empowerment work that have shaped policy and community development in profound and measurable ways in Nigeria. “Today, we gather to honour this legacy and to look toward the next chapter.”
The Minister said: “I am equally pleased to unveil the ActionAid building prototype, a strong signal of organisational growth and long-term presence in Nigeria. This forward-looking investment reflects ActionAid’s commitment to deepening its contribution to our nation over the next 25 years and beyond. These milestones deserve our collective applause.”
In his remarks, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, said the struggle of AAN in the last 25 years is to help contain poverty, a struggle he said has not been of convenience but of conviction.
He said: “25 years ago, ActionAid Nigeria began with a simple but radical proposition that poverty is not natural.
And that exclusion is not a condition to be managed by the system. But we have to dismantle it. The true development does not happen when charity is displaced.
“Charity may be rights, give things, that’s charity. But when power is shifted from privilege to the marginalised, from silence to participation, from oppression to agency, our journey has never been one of convenience, it has been one of conviction.
“We have chosen to take sides with women denied their rights, with youth denied their voices, and with communities denied access to opportunities they deserve.
“Because we know that to end poverty, we must confront the structural injustice that creates it. “So for the past 25 years, we have stood shoulder to shoulder with people living in poverty and exclusion. Not as saviours, we don’t see ourselves as saviours, but as allies who are working together.”
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