Enenche Urges FG To Identify, Prosecute Terrorism Sponsors

A former Director of Defence Media Operations at Defence Headquarters, Major General John Enenche (retd.), has urged the Federal Government to identify and prosecute sponsors of terrorism and kidnapping in the country.

Enenche said security agencies must go beyond arresting suspected attackers to tracking the individuals and networks providing them with intelligence and other forms of support.

He spoke on Arise Television while commenting on the security situation in the country and a recent military airstrike that reportedly killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province fighters, including a prominent commander, in Borno State.

The retired general acknowledged the reported success of the operation but said isolated military victories were insufficient to guarantee lasting peace.

He urged intelligence agencies to identify those financing and supporting terrorist activities, questioning why they had yet to face prosecution if their identities were already known.

Enenche also described kidnapping for ransom as an industry, calling for investigations into the networks facilitating the crime.

“Kidnapping for ransom has become an industry, and we need to investigate and dismantle the networks behind it,” he said.

The former defence spokesman said more needed to be done to tackle insecurity, noting that Nigerians continued to face threats from terrorists, bandits and kidnappers despite years of military operations.

He also rejected claims that terrorism had been defeated in the country, arguing that continued attacks across different regions showed that the threat remained.

“If you say we have defeated terrorism, that means we should not see any sign of their work or whatever they are doing in the North-East, North-West or anywhere,” he said.

“People are still terrorised, even right in my village and in local areas. So, in my own assessment, it has not been defeated,” Enenche added.

He called for greater use of technology in security operations, stressing that intelligence gathering must translate into concrete action against criminal networks.

Enenche also urged security agencies to strengthen collaboration with political, traditional and cultural leaders, as well as local communities, to improve efforts to address insecurity.