Human Rights Group Proffers Multi-Front Solution To Northern Insecurity

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called for a radical shift in Nigeria’s approach to insecurity in the North, saying military and police operations alone cannot defeat terrorism, banditry and violent extremism.

The group instead advocated a whole-of-society security strategy that combines intelligence-led operations with good governance, economic opportunities, community participation, accountability and strict respect for fundamental human rights.

National president of the CDHR, Comrade Yinka Folarin, made the call in Abuja at the Northern Nigeria Strategic Conference on human rights and counterterrorism.

Folarin said Nigeria’s persistent security challenges were driven by a complex mix of social, economic and ideological factors that required more than conventional security responses.

According to him, defeating terrorism and violent extremism would require stronger cooperation among governments, security and intelligence agencies, civil society organisations, traditional and religious institutions, development partners, the private sector and local communities.

Speaking at the event, he said “Let this conference strengthen partnership and demonstrate that human rights and national security are complementary foundations for lasting peace and sustainable development.”

In his keynote address, chairman of the CDHR Board of Trustees, Femi Falana called for a security framework that combines effective counter-terrorism operations with strict adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law.

Falana argued that the success of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign should not be measured solely by the number of terrorists or criminals neutralised, but also by the extent to which security agencies uphold due process, accountability and citizens’ fundamental freedoms.

Meanwhile, the inspector-general of police, Olatunji Disu, disclosed that sustained anti-banditry operations by the Nigeria Police Force in the North-West had led to the recovery of more than 3,000 rustled cattle in Zamfara State.

Also speaking at the event, the national chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Alhaji Mogaji Olaniyan and other stakeholders urged Nigerians to recognise the sacrifices of police officers and other security personnel working under difficult and dangerous conditions.

They called for stronger cooperation between security agencies and communities, stressing that improved public trust would make policing more effective, particularly in areas where prolonged insecurity has damaged relations between residents and law enforcement agencies.