National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Mungono, has raised the alarm over plans by secessionist groups in Nigeria to go into alliances with their counterparts in Cameroon to destabilise the peace and security of both countries.
He warned that the Federal Government would not fold its arms and allow any part of the country to be used as a haven or staging area by criminal groups to destabilise another friendly sovereign country.
Mungono said any attempt to form alliances between secessionist groups in Nigeria and Cameroon would be decisively dealt with. He also assured of the determination of government to protect lives and property of law abiding citizens.
The NSA stated this at the opening of the eight session of the Cameroon/Nigeria trans border security committee in Abuja.
The NSA, while attributing the most dominant transnational security threats bedevilling the regions to terrorism perpetrated by the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs), said terrorist groups were taking advantage of the nations porous borders to disrupt the livelihoods of innocent citizens in their communities.
He said Federal Government would continue to support efforts of Cameroonian authorities by engaging all aggrieved parties to de-escalate the security concerns in the North West and South West regions of the country.
“We will work closely together to ensure that any real or perceived attempts to form any alliances between secessionist groups in Nigeria and Cameroon are decisively dealt with. Furthermore, we will continue to support the efforts of the Cameroonian authorities by engaging all aggrieved parties to de-escalate the security concerns in the North West and South West regions of the country.”
Mungono while noting that the meeting would consolidate gains of previous meetings towards addressing the fluid and dynamic trans-border security concerns between Cameroon and Nigeria, informed the gathering that the close counterterrorism collaboration between the two countries has significantly curtailed the activities of terrorists and other forms of criminality.
