President Bola Tinubu says terrorism in Africa is “an imported evil”.

Tinubu spoke on Monday while delivering his opening remarks at the African high-level counter-terrorism meeting hosted by the federal government.

The event was supported by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).

Speaking at the meeting which held at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Abuja, Tinubu said terrorism snipes at the fabric of the tranquil, prosperous and just societies envisioned for citizens.

“This violent threat seeks to frighten the farmer from his field, children from their schools, women from the marketplace and families from their very homes. It wants the city dweller to cower and businesses to close,” he said.

“It craves despotism and suppression, not democracy and enlightened society. Its goal is to cause such havoc that we doubt our democratic principles, putting societies and governments into such confusion and disarray that we begin fighting among ourselves instead of fighting the very thing that seeks our destruction.”

Tinubu said terrorism has been a significant burden on the continent, adding that “while terrorism troubles us greatly at the moment, we do well to remember that terrorism is not of Africa”.

“We must tell this imported evil that wants to bend and break us, that it shall do neither. Instead of making us bow, we shall banish it,” he added.

The president urged officials present at the meeting to combine determined national efforts with well-tailored regional and international collaboration to fight insecurity on the continent.

Delegates present at the meeting included Amina Mohammed, deputy UN secretary-general; Vladimir Voronkov, UNOCT under-secretary-general; Leonardo Santos Simão, special representative of the UN secretary-general for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS); and other high-level UN officials.

African leaders such as President Patrice Talon of the Republic of Benin; President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana; President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo; Moussa Mahmat, chairperson of the African Union (AU) commission; and Hanana Hanana, minister of national defence, Mauritius; were also present.