The Arewa Restoration Alliance, a coalition of professionals from Northern Nigeria, has warned that the region would continue to lag behind unless urgent steps were taken to tackle insecurity.
President of the group, Muktar Danfulani, stated this while briefing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
Danfulani said that insecurity had remained the single biggest obstacle to economic growth and investment in the North.
He called on Northerners to rally behind the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, saying the military had shown resilience and achieved major successes against terrorists and bandits.
“Presently, it is difficult for any organisation or foreign country to consider the North for economic investments due to the security challenges.
“We want to commend the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, for the arrest of two leaders of Ansaru, an al-Qaeda franchise in Nigeria – Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeria, notoriously known as Mallam Mamuda,” he said.
According to him, Abu Bara’a was the overall coordinator of the group’s sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several kidnappings and terrorist financing operations.
He added that Mahmud al-Nigeria headed the notorious Mahmudawa faction of Ansaru based in and around Kainji National Park, and had trained in Libya under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.
Danfulani also hailed troops for their rescue operations across Sokoto and Adamawa States where they rescued 23 kidnapped victims, including 17 girls abducted by bandits and six persons seized by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
He also commended Operation Hadin Kai troops for repelling an ambush along the Gubio–Damasak road in Borno, where 13 insurgents were killed and arms recovered.
“The attack, which occurred on Wednesday near Kareto in Mobbar Local Government Area, targeted a military convoy escorting humanitarian supplies to Damasak.
“The terrorists reportedly detonated two improvised explosive devices before opening fire, but our gallant troops stood their ground,” he said.
“We call on the Armed Forces under our son, Gen. Musa, to deal decisively with individuals who refuse to surrender and give up arms.
“The North cannot make progress until insecurity is brought under control.” (NAN)