Afenifere, on Monday, decried the new upsurge in terrorist acts in various parts of the country, especially the North East, North Central, and North West.

In a statement by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere also lamented over kidnapping incidents in parts of the South West.

Terrorism attacks have been reported in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Borno, Katsina, Zamfara and Kwara States in the past few weeks, leading to the loss of several lives and property running into billions of naira.

Proffering solutions to the challenge, the Afenifere spokesman stated that it is important to first identify some of the root causes of the problem.

Among the causative factors listed were the wide expanse of land that are not being properly governed, porous borders especially in the northern parts of the country, proliferation of weapons, complicity of state actors and influential individuals, ethno-religious bigotry, lack or paucity of institutional capacity by the state and elements of sabotage on the part of some unscrupulous politicians.

The group also listed the desire of some ethnic groups for territorial hegemony and ineffective governance in certain areas. Other factors identified included foreign interests, illegal mining, instability in some countries in the Sahel, conflicts between farmers and pastoralists (essentially triggered by the latter), army of uneducated youths especially in the North as well as socio-economic factors such as high unemployment, weak state presence in some areas and inordinate desire to acquire wealth at all costs.

The latter factor is especially implicated in the rise in kidnapping incidents, ritual killings, and, combined with a desire for superiority by rival groups, cultism among youths.

Ajayi recalled that in January this year, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, raised the alarm that foreign interests were funding terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, last week Tuesday, also disclosed that attacks on areas in his state were being carried out by foreign elements, especially from Mali, a West African country.

Arguing that this serious threat to the essence of Nigeria’s peace predated the current administration, Afenifere spokesman recalled that on May 30, 2014, a first-class Emir of Gworza, Borno State, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, was killed by insurgents while two fellow Emirs, Ismaila Mamza of Uba and Alhaji Mai Abdullah Askirama of Askira, escaped death by whiskers during the attack.