•UN counter-terrorism boss visits Nigeria next year
The
Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) of the United
Nations Security Council (UNSC) has concluded plans with the Federal
Government to discuss the prosecution, rehabilitation and
re-integration of former Boko Haram terrorists members at a regional
level.
This
will see the top hierarchy of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, visiting
Nigeria next year for a possible summit with other countries of the
Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and West African sub-region on the
issue.
The
Chief of Africa Section, CTED, Ms. Samia Ladgham, disclosed this
weekend in Abuja at the High level segment on developing a comprehensive
approach to deal with persons associate with Boko Haram (offenders,
suspects and victims): Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Re-integration
(PRR).
Ladgham
said that the comprehensive approach to PRR being championed by the
Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the
European Union (EU), CTED and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) tagged "Partnership Project II: Assisting Nigeria to strengthen
rule of law-based criminal justice responses to terrorism", will be
sustained.
She
also commended the Federal Government and ONSA for its approach to the
issue of PRR to former members of Boko Haram, stressing that its a
completely new method most countries facing terrorism challenges
Ladgham
assured that CTED will be assisting the country to develop the needed
mechanism, disclosing the the Chair of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office
will be visiting the country next year for a planned regional summit on
PRR.
"The
issue of PRR of former Boko Haram members is a relatively new issue
that the affected states are still grappling with and we commend ONSA
fro bringing this issue to the table. This is an unchartered territory,
but we will continue to support your efforts to tackle the challenges
arising from the Boko Haram.. To develop an action plan
"Chair will visit Nigeria sometimes next year to discuss the PRR at a regional level," she said.
Earlier,
the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd),
said that the consultative workshops were called to enable Nigerian
authorities draw upon a range of experiences from other Member States in
working to overcome the challenges involved in developing and
implementing re-integration and rehabilitation programmes and in
tailoring effective approaches to the Nigerian context.
Monguno
who was represented by Mr. Abba Ibrahim, said that the two-day Segment
on PRR was to improve awareness of good practices, norms and standard in
that area and in particular, applicable international human rights and
humanitarian law.
"Identify
what further support, guidance and assurance Nigerian authorities will
require moving forward in expanding and strengthening their approach to
re-integration and rehabilitation particularly in the context of
developing an approach vis-a-vis a robust criminal justice dimension,"
he said.
On
her part, the UNODC Country Representative to Nigeria, Ms. Cristina
Albertin, lauded the partnership with ONSA, UNSC-CTED and EU "in
establishing clear aims for a criminal justice framework as part of an
overall rehabilitation and re-integration approach, including criteria
for an effective and appropriate prosecution strategy".
Albertin
who was represented by the UNODC Deputy Country Representative to
Nigeria, Ms. Elizabeth Bay, said that the agency is pleased to continue
to supporting Nigeria's counter-terrorism efforts.
"We
all know that a strong criminal justice pillar as part of an overall
rehabilitation and re-integration programme is essential to enhancing
the legitimacy and legality of the efforts of the national authorities
to address former members of Boko Haram,"she said.
By PRNigeria
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