Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) Weekly Subject Experts’ Presentation was held at Hall F ML Agwai Block, Abuja. The only presentation for the day was made by the Subject Expert on Eastern Europe.
The weekly presentation by Brig Gen Ak Egwuagu (Rtd) subject experts on Eastern Europe Centered his presentation on how More than Twenty Arrested Over Deadly Concert Attack in Moscow. Russia has confirmed for the first time that the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) coordinated the concert hall assault in Moscow, in which many people were killed (Aljazeera, 24 May 2024). A brutal attack on spectators at a concert show in Moscow on Friday night 22 Mar 2024 had left more than 140 people dead including 3 children and 187 others injured, with ISIL claiming responsibility. Eleven suspects including 4 attackers whom Putin had believed were sponsored by Ukraine as they tried to escape through the country’s border before their arrest, shortly after the first report of the shooting. Russia’s spy Chief Alexander Bortnikov on Friday 24 May 2024, announced that more than 20 suspected ISIL members have so far been arrested for the concert attack, but repeated Russia’s assertion linking Ukraine and the West to the attack, which the U.S. and Kyiev have both dismissed the allegation.
In his analysis and lessons for Nigeria, Brig Gen Ak Egwuagu (Rtd) pointed that, In Nigeria, the Boko Haram terrorist group, bandits and kidnappers have continued to terrorize the entire country despite the unrelenting efforts of the FGN, security forces and the international community to tackle the menace of insecurity. The Russian case unlike what happens in Nigeria where terrorists are hardly apprehended and even when arrested are rarely tried or may be reported to have escaped through a jailbreak, making history not only to occur but keep repeating itself and eroding public confidence on the system. Security of lives and property is a fundamental responsibility of the government and the attack on the Nigerian populace by the ‘Boko Haram’ (BH) Islamist terrorist group has threatened the security of the entire country with the killing of innocent citizens and foreign investors, begging for international collaboration against violent crimes, terrorism and insurgency. The Nigerian government has continued to make frantic efforts with some international actors towards curbing the menace of terrorism and insurgency through domestic measures like deployment of troops to the affected areas, joint task forces by neighbouring countries, declaration of emergency and encouragement of the public and media to provide intelligence support.
He recommended that, Federal Government of Nigeria should institute investigative committees or panels to unravel the identities of the sponsors, agents, financiers and operatives of the BH terrorist group and other armed groups operating in the country towards their prompt arrest and speedy trial and also introduce a specific Military Code of Justice to clearly identify intended targets and protect civilians against casualty incidents.
