By fabulous reports
…Advises President Tinubu To Release Nnamdi Kanu
LAGOS – Bishop Dr Joseph Ighalo Edoro, a Lagos cleric and public affairs analyst, has proffered solutions to terrorism and suicide bombing in the country.
He has also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, who has been in detention.
Speaking with Sunday Independent on Saturday, Bishop Edoro, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Supernumerary Police (SPY), said that individuals and communities found to be supportive of the terrorist activities must be deliberately fished out and brought to book.
Dr Edoro, who was reacting to recent suicide bombing in Gwoza, Borno State, stated that government must seek international assistance on counter terrorism, which security forces must also see as a matter of urgency and diligence, to recover lost territories.
Noting that Israel used this method and it worked for them, Edoro said intelligence gathering must be with modern tools, even as he stressed that alliances can come handy.
He maintained that the government must not pamper spending in counter terrorism, adding that negotiation is also a key factor, advising that the government at some point must bring negotiation to the table, except where it fails.
Edoro stated: “I hear people are crying and raising alarm that the government is spending so much money on defence. Yet, government needs to spend more.
“Countering terrorism is not cheap. There must be campaigns and enlightenment to dissuade youths from joining forces with terrorists through religious brainwashing that they have secured a seat in heaven.
“I also believe that another way prevents not only suicide bombing, but terrorism is to seek to find the grievances of these terror groups.
“Lastly, I think the government is doing well while we pray and appreciate the efforts of our security forces in the frontline.”
According to the cleric cum security expert, “I wish to advice and contribute towards the prevention of further suicide bombings in Nigeria.
“It may surprise you to hear that the Nigerian government is making progress towards this direction.
“Fighting terrorism is neither a child’s play, nor a battle to be won in a day. It takes a long time to defeat with a lot of strategy and commitments from both within our space and foreign spaces.
“Suicide bombing is a mode or a tactic among varied tactics employed by terrorist groups in pursuit of their agenda. Again, their agenda is a political cum religious agitation.
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“The only problem with suicide bombing mode which was introduced in Lebanon in the 1980s, is that it is the most dreadful.
“The brainwashed potential martyr uses his or her own life as a weapon of delivery to bring massive destruction of his or herself and a lot of other people within locations of choice.
“This seems to be the fastest way to prove a point to state actors and non-state actors. Nigeria had witnessed this and seemed to have passed this stage until the recent Borno suicide bombing, which killed over 30 people, injuring 100.
“This resurgence must be prevented with strategy and diligence. Governments must be encouraged by all and supported too to counter this evil that has the tendency to engulf all.”
According to him, terrorism breeds fear among people and to this end, it is a collective decision by all that it must be prevented.
“How do we do this? First and foremost, individuals and communities found to be supportive of the terrorist activities must be deliberately fished out and brought to book.
“Secondly, the government must seek international assistance on counter terrorism. Thirdly, security forces must see as a matter of urgency and diligence and recover lost territories. Israel used this method and it worked for them.
“Intelligence gathering must with modern tools and alliances come handy. Government must not pamper spending in this direction.
“Negotiation is also a key factor and the government at some point must bring negotiation to the table except where it fails.
“I hear people are crying and raising alarm that the government is spending so much money on defence. Yet, the government needs to spend more.
“Countering terrorism is not cheap. There must be campaigns and enlightenment to dissuade youths from joining forces with terrorists through religious brainwash that they have secured a seat in heaven.
“I also believe that another way to prevent not only suicide bombing but also terrorism is to seek to find the grievances of these terror groups.
“Lastly, I think government is doing well while we pray and appreciate the efforts of our security forces in the frontline.”
On Nnamdi Kanu, the incarcerated Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Edoro noted that recently, agitations and negations for his release are rife, even as he suggested a political settlement as it concerns the issues and charges against him.
Edoro stated: “The doctrine of Prerogative of Mercy stipulated in cases like this upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the nolli prosequi powers bestowed on the Attorney General of Nigeria should be invoked for his release
