US applauds Nigeria’s effort in fighting terrorism

Terrence McCulley,
the US ambassador to Nigeria

US applauds Nigeria’s effort in fighting terrorism

Anulika Menanya, Lagos

The US has applauded the efforts and support of the Nigeria government in fighting terrorism and other crimes.

The US embassy legal attaché and FBI special agent, Jennifer Dent, gave the commendation while reviewing the progresses made in training of some Nigerian security agents on areas of counter terrorism, cyber crime, and kidnapping among others, at the 2011 Humbert Hunphrey Alumni Association, Nigeria lecture in Lagos.

Providing security training courses

“In the two years that I have been here, we have provided a number of training courses. We’ve provided basic and advanced two weeks training course in money laundering, provided hostage negotiation training, basic forensic training, post blast investigation, interview and interrogation training to 238 Nigerian officers,” Dent said

She noted that plans to partner with international security agencies were underway.

At the event, the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Terrence McCulley, said that the US government had trained several Nigerian security agents as part of efforts to boost security following the insurgency of terrorism.

Hubert Hunphrey Alumni Association in Nigeria holds annual lectures to address issues affecting the ordinary Nigerian.

This year’s lecture, which was held in collaboration with the US embassy, focused on the security challenges in Nigeria following the recent bombings by an Islamic sect, Boko Haram and other vices bothering on security of lives and properties in Nigeria.

Strengthening a weak civic society

The President of Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Sam Ohuabunwa, who was also one of the participants at the event, said that the problem with Nigeria was weak civil society.

It was further agreed that weak civil society could be tackled if all hands are on deck with security seen as everybody’s business.

Ohuabunwa said: “I believe that the strength of the change of a society is from what we start to do in our family. If we begin to have family unit that are properly coordinated and brought up and we translate that unity to community consciousness where people have conscience, where people want to do things that are right, then the civil society will begin to be strengthened.”

The need for state ownership of the police was also suggested as a more effective way of enforcing law and ensuring security in Nigeria.

Williams