Lost Trust to Be Regained

The various stakeholders at a meeting held with service chiefs said when the trust that had been lost between both parties was re-established, there would be improved cooperation in intelligence-gathering and sharing.

The meeting also agreed that poverty and youth unemployment were at the root of the national security challenges, and needed to be addressed with greater vigor by all tiers of government.

According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President used the opportunity to dispel commonly held assumptions that terrorists in the North-East have far more weapons and money than the government, and that what is left of them are “mere scavengers desperate for food, raiding shops and markets, and killing innocent persons in the process.”

The statement further stated that President Buhari expressed concern that “in spite of the fact that borders with neighboring countries had been shut, bandits and terrorists continued to have access to small weapons.

“These terrorists are in the localities. How is it that they are not short of small arms?” he queried the security and intelligence chiefs. “We have said enough on the need for them to rejig their operations. I am glad that there are better synergy and cooperation which are very important. I have directed the service chiefs to meet among themselves in-between the National Security Council meeting.

“The services have resources; yes, they need more, and mobility, and are doing their best, but there is a need for better gathering and interpretation of intelligence. Our intelligence-gathering must be improved.”

Ayooluwa Joshua