The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has inaugurated a student group to counter violent extremism and insurgency ideologies as part of the non-kinetic approach to conquering ideological-based terrorism in the North-East region.

General Musa charged the youth to be non-combatant soldiers by ensuring intelligence-driven engagement with the troops of the Nigerian armed forces while using the power of social media to drive home peace and counterinsurgency advocacy.

He said, “Be advocates for truth; fight disinformation and misinformation because the battle against violent extremism is largely non-kinetic and heavily reliant on civic awareness, media influence, and social responsibilities.

“The armed forces of Nigeria and other agencies cannot be everywhere at once, and we cannot do it alone; we need all of you working with us together. This reality makes the anticipation, vigilance, and support from the populace imperative, not as combatants, but as vital drivers of non-kinetic roles in our collective security framework.

“This is the time for every citizen to speak out against any suspicious activity. Silence is no longer an option.

“The people who are critical stakeholders in intelligence gathering; while you might not wear uniforms or carry weapons, the information you hold and the vigilance you show can make all the difference.”

Earlier, the Founder and Convener of the conference, Ummukaltum Mohammed, spoke on the SAVE 1&2 project and the need for a multifaceted approach to countering the Boko Haram and other extremist groups’ ideologies.

The military chief, after several remarks by stakeholders, civil society groups, and representatives of Borno and Yobe state governments, inaugurated the group and launched the book.

Afterward, General Musa visited wounded troops at the Maimalari military hospital where a philanthropist made donations to the wounded heroes and pledged to build houses for them.

Student representatives and youth groups from Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States were inaugurated into the SAVE teams 1 and 2 and were urged to be ambassadors of peace across the states. (Channels TV)