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Eight Terrorism Signs Nigerians Should Be Aware Of

Published

4 years ago

December 31, 2021

It is important for all Nigerians and African countries hit by insecurity challenges to recognise that when terrorist attacks occur, it affects everyone. So, Nigerians, as well as citizens in terrorist-hit countries, need to work with law enforcement agencies by always informing and alerting them of any suspicious activities. All Nigerians and all Africans need to recognise the eight signs of terrorism. As an adage says, “prevention is better than cure.” If you see something, you say something!

I am going to educate my Nigerians and other Africans on the eight signs of terrorism. Before I do, it is very important to state categorically that the term terrorism has no generally-acceptable definition. It is equally important to know that military action alone is not enough to defeat terrorism, as some of the objectives of the terrorist groups are to create fear and disunity within and among the victims of their activities to achieve their objectives. It is vital that Nigerians participate actively and collectively in the fight against terrorism.

The eight signs of terrorism recognised by experts that Nigerians should be aware of are surveillance; elicitation; testing security; funding; acquiring supplies; impersonation; rehearsal, and deployment.

During surveillance, terrorists will try to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the targeted area, while gauging emergency response times. Sometimes they use vision-enhancing surveillance, acquiring floor plans or blueprints, showing interest in security, or obtaining information to access facilities. If you notice any of these activities, you should report them to your local authority.

Elicitation is the period when terrorists are trying to gather information about their targeted area. This information might be about operations and the security of their target. Examples include a power plant station, schools, shopping malls, a populated marketplace, and even a sports stadium. They can do this by phone, email, in person or even by gaining employment at the targeted location. If you have observed this, or think something is not right, you need to report it to your local authority immediately.

Terrorists examine security in a planned way at this stage – they try to see if their planned attacks would work properly. This is the testing security phase. They may use various methods. For instance, they may leave an unattended bag to see how security personnel will react to it. Often, terrorists intentionally perform break-ins in restricted areas to determine how security will react to it. If you think something is not right, report it to the local law enforcement agencies.

It is expensive to run terrorist operations, therefore, their operations involve raising and transferring money, and spending in a way that does not bring attention to them. Examples include large transactions and donations to unknown charities. Raising funding might involve human trafficking, drugs and kidnapping for ransom, and other related crimes. Recently, some have observed that corrupt politicians should be scrutinised. If you observe any signs related to this, you will need to report it to your local authority.

Terrorists need a lot of supplies to carry out their attacks. For instance, they need weapons, transportation, and communications. Vehicles in a strange area, someone buying a number of “burner” cell phones, bags filled with trash in an unusual place, fertilisers, and explosive chemicals in a garage or in a compound may imply signs of terrorism. You need to report these signs to your law enforcement agency as it might be a sign of terrorism funding.

If someone’s behaviour is suspicious because of what they say or do, this could be a red flag. Impersonating a law enforcement officer or an employee of a company might signify terrorist activity. Suspects may have on ill-fitting uniforms that may appear bigger or smaller than normal – this might be a sign of terrorism. If you feel that something is not right, you will need to report it to the appropriate authority.

Terrorists will often rehearse several times to make sure their operations run smoothly. They may monitor police radio transmissions and measure emergency response times. You need to report it to the appropriate authority.

During deployment, terrorists are constantly arranging their assets, getting into position, or in the means of attack. If you notice any related suspicious activities, you need to report it to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

In summary, all hands must be on deck in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other criminal activities and Nigeria, the Sahel and Africa at large. But the military and citizens have roles to play in the fight against terrorism.

Ramon Oseni, a US service member, writes from Columbia, Maryland, USA.

Related Topics:#US Maryland Ramon Oseni Terrorism

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Gunmen On Motorbikes Kill 22 At Baptism Ceremony In Niger

Published

16 hours ago

September 17, 2025

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Gunmen on motorbikes shot dead 22 villagers in western Niger, most attending a baptism ceremony, local media and other sources said Tuesday.

The shootings happened on Monday in the Tillaberi region, near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS) are active.

A resident of the area told AFP that 15 people were killed first at a baptism ceremony in Takoubatt village.

“The attackers then went to the outskirts of Takoubatt where they killed seven other people,” said the resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Local media outlet Elmaestro TV reported a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification”.

“Once again, the Tillaberi region has been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair,” Nigerien human rights campaigner Maikoul Zodi said on social media.

Niger’s military leaders, who came to power two years ago in a coup, have struggled to contain jihadist groups in Tillaberi, despite maintaining a large army presence there.

Around 20 soldiers were killed in the region last week.

Human Rights Watch has urged Niger authorities to “do more to protect” civilians against deadly attacks.

The rights monitoring group estimates that the Islamic State group has “summarily executed” more than 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers in Tillaberi in five attacks since March.

Meanwhile, the NGO ACLED, which tracks conflict victims worldwide, says around 1,800 people have been killed in attacks in Niger since October 2024 — three-quarters of them in Tillaberi.

Niger and its neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, also ruled by military coup leaders who claim to pursue a sovereignist policy, have expelled the French and American armies that were fighting alongside them against jihadism.

AFP

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Serbia Indicts Ex-minister, 12 Others Over Train Station Tragedy

Published

2 days ago

September 16, 2025

Editor

Serbian prosecutors filed an updated indictment on Tuesday against 13 people, including a former minister, over a fatal railway station roof collapse that has triggered a wave of anti-government protests.

The prosecution said all those indicted, among them former construction minister Goran Vesic, face charges of “serious crimes against public safety” over the tragedy that killed 16 people last November.

“The indictment proposes that the Higher Court in Novi Sad order custody for all the defendants,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The roof collapse at the newly renovated station in Serbia’s second-largest city, Novi Sad, became a symbol of entrenched corruption and sparked almost daily protests.

Protesters first demanded a transparent investigation, but their calls soon escalated into demands for early elections.

The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad initially filed an indictment at the end of December, but judges returned it in April, requesting more information.

The accused were released or placed under house arrest following the decision.

The prosecutor’s office said it had complied with the judge’s request and had now completed the supplementary investigation.

The prosecutor specialising in organised crime and corruption in Belgrade is leading a separate, independent investigation into the tragedy.

That investigation is focused on 13 people, including Vesic and another former minister, Tomislav Momirovic, who headed the Construction Ministry before him.

In March, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) launched a third, separate investigation into the possible misuse of EU funds for the station’s reconstruction.

AFP

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Kazakhstan Bans Forced Marriage, Bride Kidnapping

Published

2 days ago

September 16, 2025

Editor

Kazakhstan has banned forced marriages and bride kidnappings through a law that came into effect Tuesday in the Central Asian country, where the practice persists despite new attention being paid to women’s rights.

Forcing someone to marry is now punishable by up to 10 years in prison, Kazakh police said in a statement.

“These changes are aimed at preventing forced marriages and protecting vulnerable categories of citizens, especially women and adolescents,” it added.

Bride kidnappings have also been outlawed.

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“Previously, a person who voluntarily released a kidnapped person could expect to be released from criminal liability. Now this possibility has been eliminated,” the police said.

There are no reliable statistics of forced marriage cases across the country, with no separate article in the criminal code prohibiting it until now.

A Kazakh lawmaker said earlier this year that the police had received 214 such complaints over the past three years.

The custom is also present in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, where it mostly goes unpunished due to indifferent law enforcement and stigma surrounding whistleblowers.

The issue of women’s rights in Kazakhstan gained media attention in 2023 following the murder of a woman by her husband, a former minister, a case that shocked Kazakh society and prompted President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to react.

“Some people hide behind so-called traditions and try to impose the practice of wife stealing. This blatant obscurantism cannot be justified,” Tokayev said last year.

AFP