‘Political killers operate under the guise of terrorists’ – Nigerian army chief

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has said that terrorism has provided a cover for other crimes such as political assassination, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent acts.

Lagbaja said this during the Third Seminar on Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency organised by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA0) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Represented by the Deputy Chief of Operations (Army), Major General Emmanuel Emekah, Lagbaja delivered a lecture titled: ‘Over a Decade of Terrorism, Insurgency, Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency in Nigeria: An Assessment’.

He said Nigeria is facing various forms of insurgencies across the six geopolitical zones, with those involved using terror to achieve their goals.

Citing the 2023 Statista report, he noted that Nigeria has one of the highest terror threat levels in the world.

This is because there are several terrorist and militant groups active in Nigeria, attacking both civilian and military targets.

“Notable examples of these groups include Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the northeast, which pursue a perceived caliphate, initially physical, but now in digital form.

“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the southeast are seeking secession from the country.

“Terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria have created a cover under which other crimes and violence are committed by criminal gangs.

“Armed robbers have found an alibi to loot banks, while politically hired hitmen operate under the guise of terrorists like Boko Haram,” he said.

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