H.E. Dr. Bolere Elizabeth Ketebu:

Distinguished Chair and members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, I wish to express my appreciation to the Chairman and members of this distinguished committee for the honour and privilege accorded me to update it on the recent developments in Nigeria and on the issue of Boko Haram insurgency since my last brief on 4 November 2014. This session bears clear testimony to the continued concern of the Government and people of Ireland toward the security challenges confronting Nigeria. Also, I wish to utilise this opportunity to thank the numerous individuals, groups and institutions in Ireland who have continued to send letters and messages to the embassy to express their deep concern for the innocent victims of the Boko Haram scourge and their condemnation of the insurgents, with a special mention of the Chibok girls and the recent Baga massacre.

Suffice it to say that the paradox of modern Nigeria is that while we have proudly emerged as the largest economy in Africa, and as a viable trade and investment destination, a raging insurgency and perhaps uncertainty in some circles over the possible outcome of the impending general elections, scheduled to take place 14 February 2014, have heightened interest in Nigeria.

To recap on Boko Haram, it is an Islamic sect in Nigeria that has openly declared support for ISIS. They prohibit and seek to disrupt and destroy educational institutions, strongly opposing all democratic ideals and principles. They have also in recent years continued to cause a raging insurgency with a wave of violence, especially in the northern parts of Nigeria. Their operational base is identified to be located in the Sambisa forest, which has borders with the Republic of Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria.

In addition, the group is known to sustain its activities by attacking markets, banks and business places. It kidnaps for ransom and hijacks petroleum products. Furthermore the tenacity and organisational capability of Boko Haram, as well as the tendency by its members to embed themselves within civilian populations, perhaps have helped to prolong the group's lifespan.

In his speech at Chatham House in London on 22 January this year the Nigerian national security adviser described the real and existential threat posed by Boko Haram as perhaps a millennial challenge. Indeed, Boko Haram has continued to constitute a raging insurgency in north-eastern parts of Nigeria. The group has since escalated its campaigns, seized territories and hoisted its flags, burned down whole villages, ransacked communities, and kidnapped and conscripted young children and used them as child soldiers and suicide bombers. It has kidnapped and raped women and young girls. It has also recently expanded its violent campaigns to the neighbouring republics, Chad and Cameroon.

It is pertinent to specially mention the recent attack on Baga, which was the headquarters of the multinational task force comprising Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. At the time of the incident, Niger had withdrawn its forces whilst those of Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria were in their bases. Only the Nigerian base was attacked, culminating in the loss of the headquarters of the task force and the massacre of citizens of Baga. Nigeria has adopted the Amnesty International estimate of the total number of lives lost as 1,500.

Also worthy of mention is the botched ceasefire with Boko Haram. President Idriss Déby of the Republic of Chad had mediated on a potential ceasefire between Boko Haram and the Nigerian Government but unfortunately this mediation did not, in the end, yield the desired result.

In respect of counter-insurgency efforts, the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has continued to pursue a multi-track approach in its responses and plans to fight Boko Haram, culminating in a robust counter-violent-extremism programme. First on the list is the military approach. The military has witnessed and benefited from greater training capacity building to counter-insurgency. Its use of technology, wide-scale training on the rules of engagement and respect for human rights have undergone development. A new civil-military relations doctrine is being adopted to redefine military relations with the public, specifying guidelines for civilian protection in all operations.

The National Counter-terrorism Centre has been created to co-ordinate all agencies involved in combatting terrorism in Nigeria and ensure greater synergy. It is also an intelligence fusion centre, serving as a processing point for all source intelligence.

Conscious of the regional threat posed by Boko Haram with the recent incursions into Cameroon, Niger and Chad, Nigeria has continued to work with these neighbouring countries, as well as the Republic of Benin, through the multinational task force. Each country’s military is part of the joint border patrols and there has been greater intelligence sharing. It is also noteworthy that the African Union has recently endorsed a deployment of 7,500 military personnel as part of the regional task force against Boko Haram. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also acknowledged that Boko Haram is a clear danger to national, regional and international peace and security.

The counter-violent-extremism programme focuses on the root causes of terrorism and addresses them through four main streams. The first iscommunity engagement, which is at the core of the counter-radicalisation strand of government efforts, the objective being to foster visible community cohesion. The second is de-radicalisation, the objective of which is to prevent radicalisation through building community resilience, education, engagement with the religious environment and economic empowerment. It is hoped that this process will counter the drivers of radicalisation and empower the people to make better choices for growth and self-actualisation. The ultimate aim is to improve inter-faith relations, encourage dialogue as well as create greater economic opportunities for the citizenry. The third is strategic communications, which aims to counter extremist ideology and narratives. The fourth is the presidential initiative, which targets economic revitalisation, infrastructure development, job creation, protection of schools, and care for internally-displaced persons and victims of terrorism.

At this point, it is pertinent to outline the situation regarding the forthcoming general elections. Anxiety over the peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections has continued to grow both at home in Nigeria and abroad, fuelled by the memories of the post-election violence that occurred after the 2011 elections. The insurgent group Boko Haram, which has repeatedly expressed disdain for democratic processes and principles, has also escalated its campaign over this period, further adding to these fears.

Challenges resulting from the conduct of elections have been linked to pre- and post-election violence, allegations of rigging, delayed delivery of ballot boxes, and desperation on the part of some politicians to win at all costs. Nigeria’s experience, most especially after the 2011 general elections, has shown that some challenges to election security could emerge spontaneously or, due to perceptions of irregularities during the voting process, might emerge in association with what some people might conclude to be unfavourable election results.

Meanwhile, recent complaints relating to the alleged inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to provide permanent voting cards to some 30 million eligible voters have prompted the national security adviser in Nigeria, Sambo Dasuki, to call for a slight delay in the conduct of the elections to give the electoral body sufficient time to distribute remaining voters’ cards. The law in Nigeria provides for elections to be conducted not more than 90 days before and not less than 30 to the end of an administration.

The date of 14 February 2015 is closer to the 90 days before the end of the tenure of the current administration on 29 May 2015. This shift does not in any way contravene Nigeria’s electoral laws and would only help to ensure a smooth and peaceful exercise. The federal government and its agencies are taking measures to ensure hitch-free elections. It is therefore expected that all stakeholders, including media, community leaders and political parties will play a key role in ensuring a peaceful atmosphere during the conduct of the elections. Recently all the presidential candidates and their parties agreed to curb the use of hate speech and work towards violence-free, fair and credible elections by signing what is now referred to as the Abuja Accord. Given the above, the 2015 elections are expected to be relatively peaceful and violence-free. The emergence of a seemingly viable opposition, as well as the closeness of the race, is a clear demonstration of our maturing democracy. Greater voter awareness also means that more people are engaged in the electoral process and determined to protect their right to vote. For its part, the Government is doing all it can to ensure that every Nigerian who wishes to vote is able to and his or her vote will count. Furthermore, efforts are being made for displaced citizens to also vote wherever they are camped.

Further to the previous brief to the committee on the state of the Boko Haram insurgency in the northern parts of Nigeria, the insurgents have escalated violence and nefarious activities with incursions into neighbouring countries, for example, Cameroon and Niger. The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has continued to review, enhance and expand the scope and content of military and socio-economic counter-insurgency responses and preparedness. It also remains open to dialogue and negotiated settlement, should Boko Haram express willingness. Conscious of the regional threat posed by Boko Haram, a multinational task force under the auspices of ECOWAS, AU and other international partners is in place.

I again express appreciation for the continued support and solidarity Nigeria enjoys from the Government and people of Ireland and assure members that the Federal Republic of Nigeria will continue to strive to contain the Boko Haram insurgency and ensure hitch-free general elections. It is our firm belief that Nigeria will emerge stronger, manage her threats better and improve on governance. We continue to reach out to members of the international community to stand with us as we strive to build a united and prosperous Nigeria.