FG moves to halt violent extremism in northeast

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

The Federal Government has promised to provide various empowerment programme to unemployed youths in the northeast as measure to counter violent extremism.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq made the promise in Maiduguri, Borno capital at one day training of youths on countering violent extremism

Farouq who was represented by the ministry’s Director Special Duties, Hajiya Nadia Soso-Muhammad said the training was designed to engage the youths and prevent them from negative influence and deception.

“This training is important because we all know of the major causes of insurgency is poverty, lack of employment, lack of education and lack of skills acquisition. Humanitarian ministry deemed it fit to train youths including members of civilians JTF and other groups to undergo various skills including repairs of phones, tailoring and others,” she explained.

She said endemic poverty, joblessness and social dislocation have been identified by various reports as causes of the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast particularly in Borno.

She promised that goverbmenr would empower the youths to harness their energy toward productive means instead of engaging in violenct acts.

Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo in her remark said the training was timely. She noted that joblessness and idleness also fueled the violence in the state. She said the capacity building would help youths be engaged and disuade them from identifying with violent or extremist groups.

Nearly 50,000 have been killed and three million persons displaced in over a decade of Boko Haram violence in the affected northeast states.