Mr. Weixiong Chen of the UN Counter Terrorism Centre said this when he led a delegation to Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS’) Controller-General, Dr. Peter Ekpendu.
Chen praised the government and the NPS management for being able to contain insurgency, particularly the de-radicalisation of those in prison custody.
NPS spokesman Francis Enobore quoted the leader of the delegation as noting with delight the “appreciable success that has been recorded in the counter-terrorism, reformation and rehabilitation drive of the prisons service through the support of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), European Union and other development partners”.
He stated that violent extremism, which he described as a relatively new phenomenon in Africa, remained a global challenge and a common enemy to mankind.
The UN official said insurgency must be collectively fought with unwavering determination and relentless vigour.
Chen observed that Nigeria, being the first country in Africa to adopt the soft approach to managing terrorism through good penal practice, has once again demonstrated its capacity to taking a leading role in strengthening the resources of other sister nations in the continent in dealing with the menace.
He promised to seek the support of international donor agencies for logistics, infrastructural intervention and capacity-building for prison workers to enhance and sustain the gains so far recorded.
The NPS’ Controller-General thanked the visitors for the interest in assisting Nigeria to surmount the challenge of violent extremism, which has redefined the country’s security architecture and socio-economic development.
He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the logistics support through the ONSA that led to a huge impact in the de-radicalisation programme for those in prison custody.
