National Security Adviser Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.) has voiced his concerns regarding the rising number of youths in Nigeria who are joining armed groups. He emphasized the need to discourage this trend while simultaneously working to de-radicalize individuals who have already taken up arms. Monguno made these remarks during a workshop on amnesty management, de-radicalization, and community-based reintegration held in Abuja on Tuesday. He was represented at the event by Rear Admiral Yem Musa (retd.), the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser.
Monguno pointed out that, similar to many nations worldwide, Nigeria is facing security challenges that vary in intensity across its six geopolitical zones. He described the alarming scale at which youths are joining armed groups and stressed the importance of implementing measures that focus on preventing radicalization among young people. Additionally, he highlighted the need to transform those who have taken up arms back into normal civilians.
The National Security Adviser also cautioned that the repeated granting of amnesty by the government to armed groups could be counterproductive without an established policy. He remarked, “As you may be aware, the concept and practice of amnesty are not new in Nigeria. The Federal Government and several states have repeatedly granted amnesties. However, this can become counter-productive to national security in the absence of established policy or legislation, national ownership, and a coordination mechanism.” He noted that without an amnesty law, ad-hoc declarations have become the primary means of addressing the issue, which is a gap that the workshop aims to address.
In her remarks, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, acknowledged that while amnesty and voluntary disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) processes are vital for successful conflict resolution, they should not promote impunity. She called for some form of justice for members of armed groups who would not face criminal prosecution. Laing stated, “International law makes it clear that there can be no impunity for crimes against humanity. These approaches must therefore be complemented by robust, timely, and fair criminal judicial procedures for those who have committed grave crimes.”
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