Communities from Northwest states have expressed concerns over the emerging issues in preventing conflict and violent extremism, saying there is an alliance among bandits, old insurgents and kidnappers in the region.
They also said young ones in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs’) camps were being radicalised to join bad groups due to poverty ,among other issues.
They spoke during the inauguration of the Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Knowledge Innovation and Resource Hub (PCVE-KIRH) yesterday in Kaduna.
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Partnering against Violent Extremism (PAVE), Prof. Dung Pam Sha, stressed the need for practitioners to develop strategies to tackle the issues.
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He said: “Emerging issues and dynamics looking at violent extremism in the Northwestern part of the country is bringing to raise concern as we are beginning to see alliances between bandits and the old insurgents, we are beginning to see kidnappers getting it to that alliance.
“We are beginning to see the young ones in Internally Displaced Camps (IDP’s) being radicalised and we are also seeing how trans-border criminals are getting into the country and are exacerbating the crises and security situation in the country.
“One of the strategies we think should be used is to ensure that the government increases her presence at the borders and increases the budget to help and protect the borders. Civil society should play a role to help deradicalise the young ones that are being radicalised in displaced camps.