• Says 7,000 deaths, 800 attacks need urgency of action
• Nigeria, UAE to share intelligence for effective policing
Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called on member-states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to enhance their security architecture, strengthen regional cooperation, encourage effective intelligence sharing and promote resilience within the various communities.
Tuggar gave the admonition, yesterday, during the opening of the 52nd Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council of ECOWAS at the ministerial level in Abuja.
The minister, who said that the operationalisation of the ECOWAS counter-terrorism force and the review of the regional action plans were steps in the right direction, however, stressed the need to ensure that the initiatives were robustly funded and effectively implemented.
With over 7,000 deaths from more than 800 terrorist incidents, the minister feared the staggering human cost of insecurity and underscored the urgency for a coordinated and decisive action to combat the menace.
In his remarks, President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, identified governance deficits and marginalisation as strains of social contracts, and majorly responsible for organised crime, resource competition and violence.
Touray also cautioned that the continued standoff between the Alliance of Sahelian States and ECOWAS undermined the integrity of the regional integration agenda, saying that it was for the reason that ECOWAS Ambassadors met last month to discuss the political and security situation in the Region.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Simao, reiterated the engagements of his office towards addressing security challenges in the sub-region and ensure that authorities of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger continue to collaborate with ECOWAS, coastal states and their neighbours for the welfare and security of their citizens.
IN another development, Nigeria and Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE), have planned to share intelligence to foster improved security between the two countries.
This disclosure was made when the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, disclosed this when he received a high-level delegation from the Dubai Police at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Egbetokun, during the meeting, emphasised the importance of collaboration in ensuring the safety and protection of citizens from both countries, noting that a considerable number of Nigerians live, work, and conduct business in Dubai, while many UAE nationals reside and engage in business activities in Nigeria, and as such, enhanced cooperation is essential to safeguard the interests of both nations' citizens.
The Dubai police delegation, led by Brig.-Gen. Adel Ahmad Moosa Sanqoor, expressed appreciation for the warm reception and reiterated their commitment to working closely with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in various areas of mutual interest, including intelligence sharing, joint training programmes, and technological advancements in policing.
