Britain seeks dialogue to resolve Nigeria’s challenges

The British High Commission has called for a robust and multilateral dialogue to resolve some of the agelong multifaceted challenges facing the country.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Richard Montgomery, made the call yesterday in Abuja at the second National Stability Dialogue (NSD) organised by the International Alert Nigeria with support from UK Conflict Security and Stability Fund, Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), National Early Warning Centre and National Orientation Agency (NOA).

Aside from Ayuba, other abductees were released at intervals. There were reports that the victim said he did not want to return home but would remain in the company of his captors.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, The Reverend John Joseph Hayab, said the boy would need a lot of rehabilitation.

Hayab, in an interview yesterday said, “The doctor is taking care of him. He underwent some tests, but the results are not out yet. Once he is done medically, he will be handed back to his family because he is their son. But for now, he needs a lot of rehabilitation.”

Hayab also refuted previous reports suggesting that the boy refused to return home when they were abducted two years ago.

State Police Command’s spokesman, ASP Mansur Hassan couldn’t be reached as his phone line failed to connect and was yet to reply to the text message sent to him on the matter.

He expressed optimism that the second NSD would help identify strategies that could address diverse drivers of insecurity, especially on non-kinetic and kinetic approaches and strategies for peace and stability in Nigeria.

He also expressed hope that the national dialogue would bring better civilmilitary, government and non-government partnerships to develop more effective strategies.

Also, the country director, International Alert Nigeria, Paul Nyulaku-Bemshima, said all the important views in the dialogue would be put together to form some kind of strategic guidance and shared with decision and policy makers across peace, stability and security institutions in Nigeria.