Nigeria to Arraign IED Manufacturers as U.S. Plans Anti-Explosives Centre
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is set to arraign several suspects accused of manufacturing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Nigeria, as part of ongoing efforts to curb terrorism and insurgency.
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), disclosed this at a symposium on Countering Improvised Explosive Devices in Abuja on Wednesday.
The event, organized by the NCTC in collaboration with the United States and British governments, also revealed that the U.S. is working closely with Nigeria to establish a dedicated counter-IED centre, similar to the one previously set up by the UK in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Maj.-Gen. Laka highlighted the progress made through Nigeria’s partnership with foreign allies in combating the growing threat of explosive devices.
“Like the British Government has established a counter-IED centre in the Northeast, particularly in Maiduguri, we are working closely with the U.S. Government on that also,” he said.
He noted that the U.S. and British governments have been training Nigerian troops for four years, significantly improving their ability to detect, prevent and respond to IED threats.
Additionally, security forces have tightened control over materials commonly used in bomb-making, such as urea fertilizer, to prevent their misuse by insurgents.
“Insurgents can get things like urea fertilizer from the markets to manufacture IEDs and so on. But we won’t relent on our part. We will keep educating the populace,” Laka assured.
Laka confirmed that law enforcement agencies have detained several individuals accused of producing IEDs and will soon arraign them in court.
“And on punishments for those who are manufacturing these IEDs, we have identified a few and they are presently awaiting to go through the judicial process.
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“We won’t just punish them on our own. Nigeria is a signatory to international human rights laws and best practices, and so on. So we will follow the rule of law. They are innocent until proven guilty,” he emphasized.
To enhance counterterrorism efforts, the NCTC is developing a biometric database in collaboration with security and intelligence agencies to track and identify suspected bomb makers.
Laka described the symposium as crucial in bringing together experts to refine strategies for tackling the threat posed by IEDs.
“Our collective goal is to enhance national capabilities in preventing, detecting, and responding to Improvised Explosive Device incidents,” he added.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills, Jr., represented by Defence Attaché Col. Thomas Brooks, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to assisting Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
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