Thread by @AishaYesufu

Since we all are back to 2014 it's time I share the Citizens Solutions To End Terrorism put together by @BBOG_Nigeria and @EiENigeria from what was crowdsourced from Nigerian citizens. Check for all that was demanded for welfare of security agents
#BringBackOurGirls NOW AND ALIVE

In 2014 citizens took time to proffer solutions towards ending terrorism. It's sad that after change of administration all seem to remain the same

Citizens must continue to make demands and not give up. We would not get tired. We would continue to make DEMANDS!

Citizens’ Solutions to End Terrorism:

The Voice of Nigerians

This report is commissioned by the Abuja Family of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement and is based on a methodology of crowdsourcing citizens’ solutions to end terror through twitter....
#BringBackOurGirls

.......following the sustained reign of terror against Nigerians and the abduction of over 200 girls from Chibok
#BringBackOurGirls

Introduction

For the past three years, Nigerians have been subjected to a massive series of massacres, kidnappings, burning down of towns and villages and the routing of security forces.
#BringBackOurGirls

Increasingly, even the sovereignty of the country is in question with the takeover of towns followed by hoisting of the flag of Boko Haram.
#BringBackOurGirls

One poignant milestone was that fateful Monday of April 14th 2014 when Nigerians woke up to the news of yet another heart-rending carnage at Nyanya Motor Park after the detonation of a bomb leading to the death of over 70 people and over 100 people injured.
#BringBackOurGirls

That same night, nearly 300 schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok, Borno State. They were in their secondary school preparing for their WAEC examinations. #BringBackOurGirls

This act was to traumatise not just Nigerians but the whole world. Why would anybody abduct innocent teenagers preparing for their exams and keep them in bondage for so long.
#BringBackOurGirls

Tired of the usual mere condemnations & d blame game from Govt that characterize responses to such action in the past, Nig citizens indeed d global community went on social media platforms to condemn d action & call on Nig authorities to immediately search for & rescue d girls.

Even more important, a call went out to Nigerian citizens to make concrete suggestions on the ways to combat this surge of terror against the Nigerian people.
#BringBackOurGirls

This call was coordinated by “Enough is Enough”, a major social media group and the campaign received over 1,000 suggestions within two days using the twitter hashtag #CitizensSolutionToEndTerrorism, which trended on Twitter on both days.
#BringBackOurGirls

A strategy and a number of action points emerged from the conversation, which we summarise below.
#BringBackOurGirls

1.PLACING CITIZENS AS KEY ACTORS IN THE WAR AGAINST TERROR

Nigerian is confronting asymmetrical warfare, which requires a more concerted and comprehensive approach to defeat terrorism.
#BringBackOurGirls

The State and its security agencies must cultivate the civilian population to become allies in the struggle. Intelligence is a key factor in ensuring success and sourcing timely intelligence requires close collaboration with communities.
#BringBackOurGirls

This requires establishing trust between the security agencies and the people.
The take off point for this must be speaking the truth to the people.
#BringBackOurGirls

There has to be a defined protocol for obtaining information from and sharing information with citizens in which the joint and only objective must be to improve the security of the people.
#BringBackOurGirls

During this period of domestic terrorism, a public system through which real and truthful information can be passed to citizens from the security forces must be developed. The presence of such a protocol is essential to the protection of the lives of Nigerian.
#BringBackOurGirls

Its unacceptable that in d last 4 years, despite persistent demands, Nig still does not have a functional nation-wide emergency number. The 112-phone number that is being shared is not active in most states as it only works in states that have set up their own emergency services

Furthermore in the light of what happened to Yusuf Omisani, who was picked up by SSS agents &kept incommunicado for 12 days, citizens need to be assured that when they share info they will not be arbitrarily assumed to be members of BH & intimidated or victimized 4 providing info

This is fundamental, given the real need of building trust in the fight against terror. It would then be possible to build on this trust by holding regular meetings between security operatives and community stakeholders in the areas most affected by these acts of violence.

We must institutionalise improved collaboration and information sharing to bridge the huge communication gap that exists currently.

2.FINANCING AND REBUILDING THE SECURITY APPARATUS

It is clear to all that the Nigerian security apparatus is at its weakest strength and capability at this historical point when we need them most.

Rebuilding the strength and capability of our security agencies is a national commitment that government and citizens must support.

Nonetheless d Nigerian public is concerned that the resources allocated to our security apparatus (N922 billion in 2012, N1 trillion in 2013 & N845 billion in 2014) dont seem to correspond with d results delivered by those at the frontline who are prosecuting d war against terror

While it is understandable that security operations are mostly classified, citizens believe that some degree of transparency, accountability and disclosure is essential to gaining public confidence and achieving optimal results.
#BringBackOurGirls

Even more important, if there is a generalised system of corruption and leakages in administering security budgets, just throwing money at the problem will not produce the desired results.
#BringBackOurGirls

a.Agents on the Field
Citizens are concerned abt the size, strength, training, moral & will of our security agencies to effectively fight insurgents. Similarly, citizens want to be assured that the welfare of our troops is given upmost priority by the govt & military leadership

This includes but is not limited to, provision of(1) payment of full allowances & adequate feeding to soldiers on duty(2) premium life insurance cover for security agents deployed to fight the insurgency(3) adequate compensation for d families of agents killed in the line of duty

(4) adequate care and support for agents injured in the line of duty, and (5) adequate reward for gallantry. Finally, persistent reports indicate a disconnect between the troops on the ground and the command centre.

Our ground troops need the most empowering base support functions to be effective with their counter insurgency role and we expect that they be fully supported morally and they be provided with adequate resources.

b.Weapons, Intelligence and Logistics

The misinformation emanating from security agencies around the abduction of the schoolgirls from Chibok raises serious concerns about truthful information sharing from the security agencies.
#BringBackOurGirls

Citizens want to know the technical capacity and capability of our security agents to successfully prosecute the war on terror.
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Citizens request that an independent committee composed of members of the Senate and House Committees on Defence and eminent retired military personnel be established to conduct an audit of the armed forces responsible for combating the insurgency.
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The objective of the audit should be to ascertain the state of weapons, intelligence gathering and logistics capability in executing the war on terror.
#BringBackOurGirls

Our armed forces must accept that it is now public knowledge that they are extremely weak and we need to build a national consensus on the nature and depth of the problems, the finances required and most effective and accountable means to address the problem.
#BringBackOurGirls

3.LOCAL SECURITY GOVERNANCE

Nig needs to develop a new approach to security governance. Developing local agency in security provisioning must be central to this new approach
One element of d new approach is getting security agencies to collaborate closely with local communities

We need to significantly expand and institutionalise community policing in the country. A pact, a bond must be developed between security agencies and the people in executing the war against terror.
#BringBackOurGirls

The second element is that communities should be encouraged to set up Community Safety Groups / Neighbourhood Watch Groups to help promote the fight on terror. Community members know their communities better than the security agencies.
#BringBackOurGirls

They need to take an interest and connect with security organisations. There needs to be support and protection for the communities that are supporting the security agencies.

Most importantly, the source of information emanating from communities must be protected to ensure that there are no reprisal attacks against such communities.

The citizens who were crowd sourced in this survey call on government and the military to design a robust plan of action and negotiate a unified template with local communities for participation in security and intelligence gathering.

Such a plan should adequately provide for (1) anonymous reporting of suspicious people or situations, (2) protection of informants who feel threatened,

(3) rapid response to actionable intelligence, (4) feedback between military and communities, and (5) measures to mitigate abuse of their political mandate by civilians.

Governors have a critical role to play as they currently support federal security agencies but there is room for more collaboration and streamlining of efforts. The National Assembly must also address this issue of introducing some form of state policing in the country urgently.

4.SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION

There are lots of allegations about people being part of Boko Haram that we hear from the authorities but we do not see a significant number of people being prosecuted.

‘Member of Boko Haram’, ‘Boko Haram financier’, and ‘Boko Haram supporter’ are labels that appear to be thrown around in a political war to embarrass certain citizens.

The ease, with which these labels are used, especially from the government, belittles the seriousness of the security challenge we face and the attendant death of innocent Nigerians.

The Senator for Borno South was once 'charged' for sponsoring Boko Haram and yet the result of the case remains inconclusive. The government has a duty to promptly prosecute alleged sponsors, and must be seen to be serious about it.

It is not enough to promise 'action' while the reality on the ground is that citizens are being slaughtered daily. Citizens encourage the executive and judiciary to work closely together on speedy trials of suspects of terrorism so that there would be justice and some deterrence.

The successful prosecution of cases would be a major milestone and would boost the confidence of citizens.

5.FOLLOW THE MONEY

There is no doubt that the violence terrorists are inflicting on Nigerians is being financed. Terrorism involves the transfer of money in order to fund the procurement of arms, equipment and the people who carry out the acts.

The government must make efforts to ensure that financial services such as the banking sector’s Know-Your-Customer initiative is closely tied to its anti-terrorism strategy.

The success of the war against terrorism depends on the ability of the Nigerian authorities be able to cut off their financial supply and trace the sponsors.

6.CROSS-BORDER MOVEMENTS AND CITIZENS’ IDENTIFICATION

Our borders are porous and Nigerians who live near the frontiers do have family and social linkages to nationals of our neighbouring countries.

There have been repeated statements by government officials that many foreigners are engaged with the terrorists. What we have not seen is evidence to support the allegations and clear responses to the said challenge by government.

Do we have sufficient data on the border communities? Are we following up on data accumulating through monitoring of SiM-Card registration (NCC), the National Identity Card registration, Immigration and Custom Services, Civil Service Commission,

Driver’s License/ License Plates (FRSC), and the Voters’ Register (INEC)? Currently, we have numerous governmental agencies developing electronic databases on Nigerians.

A central database where the identities of all Nigerians can be easily verified must exist in order for Nigeria to significantly make progress in fighting terrorism.

7.RESPECT FOR THE DEAD

Nigeria’s Constitution assures us that the security of lives and property is the primary responsibility of government.

Given that lives have been lost to terrorism, the government needs to demonstrate respect for the citizens who have lost their lives due to acts of terrorism.

The appropriate agencies of government should within 48 hours of any attack, publish the names of as many victims as possible using formal and informal identification. The families need to be sought out and informed.

The National Human Rights Commission should be given adequate resources and support to create and maintain a database of victims of violence.

Those who lost their lives in the fight against terrorism are not mere statistics. They are national heroes who we must learn to respect and remember as a nation.

8.RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION

We need to develop a comprehensive strategy and practice for the protection of public spaces prone to attacks – markets, shopping malls, schools, government offices and parks. Our CCTV cameras in large cities should also be functional.

Public campaigns aimed at increasing the vigilance of citizens should be vigorously promoted.

9.COUNTER RADICALISATION AND THE PROMOTION OF PEACE EDUCATION

The insurgency that is challenging our society today has arisen because we as a society have allowed extremist ideas to develop, grow and fester.

All of us; governments, religious institutions, the private sector, communities and families as well as civil society groups have a collective responsibility to ensure that extremist ideas are contested and delegitimized.

Our religious leaders in particular have the onerous responsibility of ensuring that radical interpretations are countered. We must all invest more resources – theological, ideological, philosophical, communications, financial and institutional in promoting peace education.

Peace education will help to redress the culture of violence and aggression that has developed in our society. We need to continuously inculcate the value of peaceful coexistence and non-violent orientation on every Nigerian citizen.

Peace education should be integrated in the educational curriculum, from primary to the tertiary levels. Above all, we need to strive to make every Nigerian an advocate for peace.

In addition, the problem of youth radicalization and extremism could partly be curbed through proper sensitization and enlightenment programmes using fit for purpose radio and television programmes, jingles and group discussions.

A robust countering violent extremism (CVE) programme should be an integral part of peace education. The Nigerian government, civil society groups and the private sector could partner with Nollywood, Kannywood and the Yoruba film industry to produce home movies

in the three major languages (Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) designed to specifically counter the narrative, rhetoric and doctrines of violent radicalization or religious extremism. The private sector can play a crucial role in providing financial support for these programmes.

10.SOCIAL WELFARE

a.SPECIFIC PROGRAMMES TO EDUCATE & EMPOWER WOMEN

The world over, there is a clear and direct link between women who lack education and poverty.

Statistics have it that 2/3 of the 102 million poor people in Nigeria live in the Northern part of the country, where female illiteracy is high and their empowerment low.

The North East & North West zones have half of all the poor people in Nigeria, with more than 50 million people living in abject poverty and the insurgency has been widening the gap even more.

It is important to note that over half of the women in the North are married off before they attain the age of 16 and commence childbirth within the first year of marriage. Of the 16 million births by girls below the age of 18, 9 out of 10 of them are married.

These poor human development indices only portend massive economic development costs for current and future generations.

Governments, at all levels, need to consciously invest in women, if only to increase productivity, promote sustainable growth and their children’s wellbeing, as well as engender healthy livelihoods and establish peace, stability and security, in all of our rural communities.

In seeking to harness the energies of the youth in a more productive and meaningful manner, a deliberate focus on education and empowerment for women as a significant strategy is critical, as they remain the foremost catalysts for rapid growth, peace & development in our country

b.Creation of Job Opportunities for the Nigerian Youth

The Nigerian government must embark on effective poverty alleviation and human capital development programmes in order to empower its large youth population.

The youth are the most vulnerable to recruitment & radicalization for violent extremism & terrorism. There are 10.5m boys & young men in Northern Nigeria who are out of school& without formal employment which constitutes a vast reserve army from which terrorists can be recruited

Government at all levels (federal, state and local), should partner with credible civil society organisations to design and implement effective reorientation programmes to reconnect these destitute children with their parents or provide them the necessary training

that will help them function effectively in the society. Such rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration intervention is expedient given the finding that children who were not brought up by their parents are more disposed to using violence in propagating their religious views.

d.Enhanced Provision of Education and Literacy Programmes

Due to the high level of illiteracy in Nigeria, most young people have become easily susceptible to manipulation and recruitment into criminal and extremist groups.

Although the right to education is one of the basic rights of every Nigerians, access and entitlement to this right is hardly attained.

To reduce the number of people who are likely to fall prey to radical preaching and recruitment into violent groups, primary & secondary education should be made free and compulsory for every child in Nigeria.

Thus, what is needed is for the local and state government to muster sufficient political will to deliver quality and accessible education to more children in Northern Nigeria through enhanced allocation and judicious utilisation of funds in the education sector.

Conclusion

Terrorism is not a local, regional of national problem, it is international. Its impact on Nigeria has been massive. The number of casualties over the last three years is estimated at almost 20,000.

In the first four months of this year, we lost almost 1,500 Nigerians to terrorism. The casualties include women and children. Many more were wounded while others were kidnapped and kept in bondage.

This includes the 219 girls abducted from Chibok. This means a return to slavery over a century after its abolition.

There is currently a credible threat not only to the human security of Nigerians, wherever they may be in the country but also to our territorial integrity.

We are beginning to slide into anarchy & the life Hobbes spoke of in which “life is nasty, brutish & short” is becoming our reality. It is in this context that Nigerian citizens, through our crowdsourcing methodology have called for a concerted national effort to arrest terrorism

For the tide to turn, the Federal Government must ensure that our security agencies are properly equipped to do their work. Government must engage continuously with communities in a partnership that isolates and exposes the terrorists.

Governments must provide a national emergency number that works all over the country. Government and citizens must honour the dead; prosecute suspected terrorists swiftly and harmonise our databases for ease of identification.

The glib assurances repeatedly given by the Federal Government are no longer sufficient as they are not accompanied by action. Government MUST match their words with visible action to rebuild the confidence of the citizens, which has been lost.

Nigerian citizens are desperate to see that we are winning this war on terror and for us, results are defined by the absence of abductions and deaths; cutting off their financial flows and the capture & prosecution of terrorists, especially before they strike.

We call on Mr President for leadership that mobilises Nigerians to fight collectively against a common enemy.

Mr President must extend a hand to ALL stakeholders in this war – governors, political party leaders, the National Assembly, traditional and religious institutions, civil society and citizens.

The President must make it clear that this is not about party politics, ethnicity or religion, but about pursuing the common good of ALL Nigerians.

As usual, our hearts go out to members of the Chibok community as we continue to advocate and pray for the speedy return of our daughters.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Signed,

NIGERIAN CITIZENS

This document was prepared by EiE Nigeria, a coalition of individuals and youth-led organizations committed to instituting a culture of good governance & public accountability in Nig through advocacy, activism and the mobilization of the youth population as responsible citizens

EiE was supported by the CLEEN Foundation, an NGO with the mission of promoting public safety, security & accessible justice through the strategies of empirical research, legislative advocacy, demonstration programmes & publications, in partnership with govt & civil society.