Laka replaces Rear Admiral Musa (retd.), whom former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed as the pioneer Coordinator in August 2022.
The Presidency announced Laka’s appointment on Tuesday in a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new national coordinator for national counter-terrorism centre.’
Laka served in various capacities in Nigeria’s North-East.
He also served in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo under the United Nations and was part of the Nigerian contingent in the US AFRICOM exercise in Senegal.
He holds a Master’s Degree in National Security from the National Defence University, Pakistan, and in International Affairs and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy.
The President said he expects Laka to “bring his vast experience into this critical role to effectively remove security threats through pre-emptive, proactive, and diligent counter-terrorism coordination.”
The NCTC was established in 2012 as a directorate in the Office of the National Security Adviser. This followed the signing of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011, which was amended in 2013.
On March 21, 2023, former President Buhari launched NCTC’s new base in Abuja, a facility he said would serve as his major infrastructural legacy to the incoming administration to effectively coordinate national security and counterterrorism efforts.
Similarly, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd.) as the new Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Kokumo succeeds Major-General AM Dikko (retd.), whom former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed as the pioneer Coordinator on May 3, 2021.
Ngelale described Kokumo as a “seasoned and accomplished law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience in crime prevention, management, analysis, and control.”
He was Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, from 2022 to 2023.
The President says he expects the new Coordinator to “deploy his immense experience and expertise in efforts to revamp the Centre and evolve new strategies to bring lasting solutions to the menace of arms proliferation which is a significant driver of insecurity in the country.”
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons was established on May 3, 2021, by an Executive directive by Buhari.
This was in line with Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
At the time, the Presidency said the Centre would replace the defunct Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons and shall serve as the institutional mechanism for policy guidance, research and monitoring of all aspects of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
NCCSALW’s creation was part of the restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture to address emerging threats and strengthen regional mechanisms for the control, prevention and regulation of SALW.
Post a Comment