Ribadu, AU Say Terrorists Must Be Stopped From Using Drones, AI For Attacks

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre says everything must be done to stop terrorists from using modern information and communication technologies for coordinated attacks in the Sahel and West Africa subregion.

The NSA and the AUCTC made the assertion on Tuesday during a three-day region training conference on how to detect and counter terrorists’ exploitation of emerging technologies to launch attacks on the region.

The NSA was represented at the conference by Maj Gen Adamu Laka revealed that terrorists have stated using digital platforms to spread propaganda, radicalise potential recruits, raise funds and coordinate operations across borders, adding that the use of drones and other lethal assets by terrorists have complicated the security threats posed to all the countries in the country including Nigeria.

On his part,  the Acting Director of the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre, Idriss Lalalli, warned that various terrorist organisations such as ISIS West Africa Province, Boko Haram and others operating across  the continent are fast expanding their digital technology capacity to launch attacks,

Ribadu stated the ability of the terrorists to make use of modern technologies such as drones, propaganda content has improved their capability and financial channels, saying counter measures against the terrorists must include the development of technical expertise, strengthen institutions and improve cooperation among security agencies.

‘’We must, therefore, strengthen our ability to anticipate, detect, analyse and disrupt threats before they materialise,” he said.

He called for increased cross-border intelligence sharing and the timely exchange of actionable cyber threat information among West African and Sahelian countries because, according to him, no ‘’country or sector can defeat terrorism alone.”

Ribadu stressed that The Nigeria was working with the AUCTC to secure accreditation for the National Counter Terrorism Centre as a regional centre of excellence for counterterrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.

He said the initiative followed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration at the High-Level Africa Counterterrorism Summit held in April 2024.

Lalalli, stated that the terrorists are using the social media platforms to recruit new members, and moving illicit funds through cryptocurrencies and mobile money to further their activities, adding that they are also using the Artificial Intelligence to evade detection from security agencies.

“They buy weapons on darknet marketplaces, communicate over satellite links beyond our networks, and fly drones across borders, using artificial intelligence to tailor propaganda and evade detection,” Lalalli said.