Terrorism cannot win, says UK Defense minister in Maiduguri visit

The Minister of State for Defense, UK, Lord Vernon Coaker, has said that terrorism cannot win, as it undermines the rule of law, international treaties, and borders across the globe.

According to him, Nigeria and the United Kingdom should continue to stand together as strongly as they have done now and in the past.

Coaker made the declaration yesterday (Wednesday) when he visited the Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force, Northeast, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Maj-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, at the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State.

He said the British government regarded Nigeria as extremely important in terms of alliances and friendship, stating, “Together we stand for the rule of law, respect of borders, democracy, and human rights.

“We’ll provide you training by working with you. It’s not only you learning from us, but we learn from you.”

He noted that it is an important principle for Nigeria and the UK to uphold.

Highlighting the importance of tackling Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), Coaker warned: “The indiscriminate use of IEDs by terrorists, not only against members of the Nigerian military but also its consequences for civilians.

“We’re very pleased to have been able to work with you to support that programme.

“We are also very pleased to see other training taking place with members of the British military here, working with your soldiers in areas of training.”

He assured that the British military was pleased to support Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.

“Your conflict, your security, is our conflict and our security,” said the Minister, adding, “And we cannot divorce from each other conflicts in one area of the globe because it impacts all of us.”

Responding to Coaker’s support of the military, General Shaibu said there has been a long-standing cordial relationship between the Federal Government and the British government for many decades.

He said, “The presence of the Minister of State for Defense with us today in the JTF Northeast theatre of operation validates that assertion.”

He added that the mandate of OPHK is to facilitate the restoration of normalcy in the region, stating that this will ensure socio-economic activities thrive in the insurgency-affected states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.

Shaibu noted that the mandate not only places the responsibility of defeating insurgency but also supports civil authority to re-establish an enabling environment for citizens to return to normal life.

This provides an opportunity for IDPs to return to their ancestral homes, reestablish livelihoods, and promote economic prosperity both individually and collectively as a community.

Besides ensuring security, he said: “OPHK has ensured the constant training and retraining of its personnel at the Theatre Training School for the coordination of training activities throughout the theatre of operations.”

According to him, military diplomacy is one of the essential constituents of international diplomacy, fostering bilateral and regional relationships, including military training cooperation, which are essential ingredients of military diplomacy.

He assured Coaker that training efforts in counter-insurgency were made by providing troops with the required knowledge and skills to discharge their tasks, particularly as it relates to counter-IED training.

Other areas of training included Tactical Instruction for Trainers and Instructors, the provision of counter-IED equipment, and the establishment of a counter-IED coordination cell.