By Usman Mohammed Jimeta.
Stakeholders from diverse sectors in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, have reiterated their commitments to strengthen community-led security and alert systems, to address the security threats affecting the council area and ensure collaborative efforts to ensuring civilians protection.
The renewed commitments were made at a roundtable advocacy meeting, organized by the Center for Civilians in Conflict CIVIC, held on 20th and 21st August, 2025, at Dr Abdullahi Dauda Belel conference hall, at Maternity Hall located in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
With the theme "strengthening community led security and alert system", the gathering brought together personnel from security agencies, civil society organizations, media practitioners, religious and traditional leaders numbering twenty three participants, to discuss the strategies towards tackling security threats and enhancing civilian protection.
In his opening remarks, the community liaison officer of the Center for Civilians in Conflict, CIVIC, Mr Lynn Adams, said the organization is a non governmental, non profit and international organization, with the mission to improve protection of civilians affected by conflict across the world.
"Our mission is to work with armed actors and civilians to develop and implement solutions to prevent, mitigate and respond to civilian harm" Mr. Lynn Adams said.
According to him, the aimed and objectives of this roundtable advocacy meeting, was to create an avenue for collaborative synergy development and brainstorming through all community stakeholders in Michika LGA of Adamawa State.
"We have identified a lot of security threats such as drugs abuse, land dispute, farmers herders clashes, theft and scavenging issues among others, and our organization will work collaboratively with the relevant stakeholders in attendance to ensure effective civilian protection in the area" Mr Lynn Adams further stated.
While speaking on behalf of the security personnel at the meeting, a senior military officer, who prefers anonymity, said the work of military and other security agencies is to protect lives and properties of the citizens, equally advised members of the general public to support the security with intelligence reports to facilitate their operations in the area.
"My advice to civilians in conflict prone areas is they should ensure that whatever you see don't keep it for yourself, say it out so that it is better for us to take proactive measures than reactive measures". The Senior Military officer said.
On the issues of drugs abuse and land dispute, "my advice to the government is to provide enough manpower and logistics for the NDLEA to tackle the menace in Michika, while people willing to buy land should follow the proper channels to ensure that everything went on smoothly to avoid long time land dispute" the Senior Military officer added.
Also speaking on behalf of the traditional and religious leaders during the meeting, the District Head of DAKWA in Michika LGA, Engineer John Vandu, said the solutions to most of the identified security threats in the area, has to do with providing employment opportunities for the teeming unemployment youths, by the government, companies and non governmental organizations among others.
According to him, the solution to the issues of theft and scavenging issues, is for government and relevant security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted, in order to serve as a deterant to others planning to follow same way.
On the issue of having criminals in the community, "the whole security architecture should be in the hands of traditional leaders. Because a ward head is in charge of a cluster of people, he knows any new person that comes to the community. So by the time he finds out that the person is with suspicious behavior or attitude, he will inform the village head and if there are problems, they move to the district Head and even beyond to ensure that civilians are protected from being hammed" Engineer John Vandu further explainned.
Another participant, Aishatu Inuwa, female women leader from Jigalanpu Ward, in Michika, opined that there should be gender equality in Nigeria for most of the security threats to be solved in the society.
Aishatu Inuwa, who assured that she will cross fertilize the knowledge acquired during the meeting, equally advice women to actively participate in any efforts to ensure civilians protection in the community.
"I am always disturbed whenever I see women being marginalized. Although I blame some women for saying they can't make it because they are women. Therefore, we women have a great role to play towards ensuring civilians protection in Michika LGA of Adamawa State and Nigeria as a whole. Aishatu Inuwa, lamented.
The organizers said the organization will sustain advocacy efforts through continuous engagement with communities, security agencies and the media to ensure that the advocacy remains impactful.
Highlights of the round table advocacy meeting were questions and answers session as well as group photographs among others.
0 Comments