NCTC's Major-General Laka: Economic Factors Drive Terrorism

Major-General Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), clarified that terrorism in Nigeria's North-West is primarily driven by economic interests rather than ideological beliefs. Speaking at a policy roundtable in Abuja, he stated that the current situation reflects economic terrorism.

Laka emphasized that military operations alone would not resolve the security crisis, advocating for a combination of military action and non-kinetic measures involving government agencies and stakeholders. He noted that security agencies have recorded successes through joint operations, including one in Katsina state in September.

Laka highlighted the need for continued collaboration among security agencies to restore peace, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions, following improvements in the North-East. Dr Oyewole Oginni from the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies pointed out that armed groups in the North-West are forming relationships with criminal networks and that illegal mining, especially in gold-producing areas, is a significant funding source for these groups.