Abuja (Nigeria): Affirming that terrorism can only be blocked by organised global movement, India today called for restructuring the legal framework by adopting a comprehensive protocol on international terrorism.
In a sermon to officers of the National Defence College in the Nigerian capital, Vice President Hamid Ansari said nations that take a stand for humanism and peace have to increase their participation and strengthen efforts to halt the supply of arms to terrorists, intrude terrorist movements, and criminalise and cur terror funding.
“We have to help each other by sharing intelligence, securing our cyberspace, and minimising the use of the Internet and social media for terrorist activities,” he said while delivering his lecture on “Emerging Security Imperatives in the context of India-Nigeria relations”.
Calling terrorism as one of the most outrageous causes of human right violations and a major deterrent to development, he said, “Your country, like my own, has suffered the horrors of this scourge of humanity. Terrorism today has global reach, no city remains safe. There is a new level of threat to pluralist and open societies.
“Use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy is to be unequivocally condemned. There can be no distinction between good and bad terrorists. A terrorist is a terrorist; one who commits crimes against humanity cannot have any religion, or be afforded any political sanctuary.”
He said the long-standing defence alliance between the two nations is signified by establishments such as the Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna; the Naval College at Port Harcourt and other elite military training establishments in Nigeria.
“Many illustrious Nigerian officers have been the flag bearers of our bilateral cooperation. Today, we have an Indian Army Officer present amongst you as a participant of the ongoing NDC Course. This augurs well for our cooperation in the future.”
“Together we stand as giants of Africa and Asia respectively and as we march ahead in our quest for economic and military security, collaborative efforts borne out of mutual trust can be leveraged effectively to achieve our strategic goals,” the Vice President said.
He also said threats posed by violence, religious fundamentalism and economic disparities can no longer be neglected, particularly when information technology and globalisation can make changes “fast, furious and most unexpected”.
