THE Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said that the Federal Government would soon name individuals and networks behind terrorism financing in Nigeria.
In an interview on a Television Continental programme on Sunday, November 30, Bwala said the Tinubu administration had begun taking “far-reaching decisions” on national security.
“The government is making decisive interventions. In the coming days, Nigerians will know who the terrorists are and those funding them are,” Bwala said.
He noted that terrorism had evolved into a global menace that transcends national borders, making international collaboration essential in tackling its spread.
Bwala explained that world powers increasingly recognised the need to support countries like Nigeria, where extremist groups sought to expand their operations.
“Since the events of 9/11, terrorism has been treated as a global security issue. Any nation where terrorists operate becomes a concern to the rest of the world. This is why international partners must continue to cooperate with Nigeria in our efforts to dismantle terrorist networks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bwala urged Nigerians to play active roles in monitoring compliance with Tinubu’s directive to the police authorities to withdraw their officers serving as escorts to Very Important Persons (VIPs)
The ICIR reported Tinubu directed the withdrawal of all police officers providing security for VIPs in Nigeria on November 23.
The president said that authorities were to deploy such officers to concentrate on their core policing duties, noting that anyone seeking police protection to request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Bwala, in his remarks, highlighted the administration’s commitment to enforcing the order and urged citizens to document any violations.
“If you identify a celebrity, a private sector person, or any individual who has police against the executive order of the president, as much as you can, capture evidence, whether a photograph or video. The order of the president to withdraw police from VIPs is not all-encompassing. There are critical people in government who will still have one form of security or another,” he explained.
He added that other security agencies, such as the State Security Service (SSS) and Civil Defence, would provide protection where necessary.
“It could be SSS, Civil Defence, and not the police who will be there to help you. But police have no business being with you,” he said.
The ICIR reported that sequel to Tinubu’s directive, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced the withdrawal of all police escorts from VIPs on November 25.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.