By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Coordinator, Nigerian National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Major General Adamu Garba Laka, has stated that in addition to kinetic and non-kinetic approaches being used, the centre is also adopting all other generally acceptable and innovative means in the effort to resolve the security challenges confronting the country.
Gen. Laka made the disclosure while holding a strategic engagement with media executives/editors on counter terrorism concern at the centre in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the General, National security is all-encompassing in that it is a task that must be done by both security operatives and all other citizens.
“Security affairs is not confined to the police, the military, intelligence, and other law enforcement agencies as many people assume.
“It has many dimensions and areas relating to socio-economic matters, and this is why we engage kinetic, non-kinetic, and other generally accepted means in the effort to resolve the security challenges confronting our great nation,” Laka noted.
He said NCTC was deploying all means in order to accomplish its mandate of coordinating all anti-terrorism activities and drive home its objectives of contributing to every stratum of the economy through successful fight against the enemies of the Nigerian state.
He charged participants to take advantage of the meeting and use their wealth of knowledge and experience to engage in constructive conversation that would set tangible agenda for the government, the political leaders and policy makers at all levels, while also offering guides for informed decision making, national planning, and implementation of programmes for national reconstruction and attainment of sustainable development.
Referring to the key presentation of the day, titled: “Understanding Public Information Dissemination Platforms and Strategies for Effective Use in Centering Extreme Ideologies and Narratives, General Laka said, “It is our responsibility, by virtue of this platform, to take full control and effectively use this medium of communication to promote mental trust, build unity among Nigerians and adequately counter the destructive ideologies and narratives of terrorist groups.
The presentation was to be made by the Guest Speaker, Prof. Emman Shehu.
Speaking, the Special Adviser Strategic Communication, Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, Barr. Zakari Mijinyawa, who described the media personnel as shapers of public perception, advised against sensationalising reports to the point of creating fears in society and glorying acts of terrorism, urging them to summon the courage to always report with integrity.
From the Centre for Crisis Communication, Gen. Chris Olukolade, former Spokesperson of the Nigerian Army from 2009 to 2011 and former Director, Defence Information from 2013 to 2015, who spoke at the event said the media plays a crucial role in combating Terrorism, and such need to be professionally objective in their reportage for effective fight against terrorism.
“We have seen where Counter-Terrorism event was reported and the story came out the other way,” he said, encouraging NCTC to ensure that stakeholders engage such as being held hold from time to time.
On his part, the Director General (DG) of the Nigerian National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu declared that given their widespread structure across the country down to the 774 local government areas (LGA), they were poised to be an integral part of the war against terror and willing to collaborate with all other stakeholders to overcome the menace of terrorism.
Represented by Mr Paul Odenyi from the office, the DG who cautioned sternly against the misinformation and disinformation of the public by the social media, said they had employed about 32,000 officers across the country on fact-checking as regards social media information.
This is even as he admonished that people have to be carried along in terms of sensitisation and awareness through the likes of social media channel that have become so popular with youths nowadays who are seen not to be interested in reading long literatures.
According to him, at NOA, they believe non-kinetic approach holds about 60 per cent of the potential in the war against terrorism, which is the method they actually promote.
