The federal government has told the UN that Boko Haram and ISWAP have ravaged the North-East with over seven million Nigerians needing humanitarian assistance.

National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno disclosed this at the ongoing United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of member states in New York.

Mr Monguno said terrorism had continued to manifest as a vicious and relentless global threat, recognising no border, nationality, and all religions.

The NSA added that terrorism had become a contemporary weapon of violence for non-state actors in this era of globalisation.

Mr Monguno said, “I can say with total conviction that apart from pandemics, natural disasters, and the climate itself, today, the greatest threat to the existence of the human race is the global scourge of terrorism.

“The fallout of activities associated with terrorists have collectively heightened insecurity in the greater part of Africa with serious economic, social and political implications for its people.”

In North-East Nigeria, Boko Haram’s activities and “the so-called the Islamic State West Africa Province with known affiliation to other international terror networks such as Daesh and Al-Qaeda, have continued to undermine the security and livelihood of the people.”

Mr Monguno added, “They are at the same time overlapping into neighbouring countries of the Lake Chad Basin. It was disclosed that over a million persons had been internally displaced in the communities in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, while more than seven million people remain in need of humanitarians assistance in north-eastern Nigeria.”

The NSA further stated that terror groups used social media platforms to propagate ideologies, recruit youths, radicalise them, instil fear in the targeted community and deflate the morale of defence and security forces.

He stated that the terrorists’ approach was to portray the government as incapable of guaranteeing the protection and well-being of its population.

(NAN)