TELL Magazine

… Says Intelligence Agencies Are Clueless

A retired Assistant‎ Inspector-General of Police, AIG, Ambrose Aisabor, at the weekend, took a critical look at the security situation in the country particularly the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and banditry, and returned a damning verdict that “our intelligence agencies have no answers to these challenges”.

The Edo-State-born former police chief, therefore, expressed the need by the Federal Government to urgently convoke a National Security Summit to address insecurity in the country. Speaking against the backdrop of incessant ambush of military men by Boko Haram militia and the recent killing of nine soldiers by members of the insurgency group, Aisabor averred that the era of docility and pretending that all is well in the country was over. While stating unequivocally that the country’s intelligence system was defective and not working, he asserted that “Boko Haram’s mechanism is more powerful and effective than that of our security agencies”‎.

According to him, “I‎ believe this is the right time to call on the international community to come and assist; there is no shame in it. Nigeria has been helping other countries to maintain peace. The belief that Boko Haram has been degraded is deceit to Nigerians and an illusion”. Going down memory lane to recall how Boko Haram started by occupying territories and bombing strategic places, the retired AIG said “they later changed their strategies by going on suicide missions. From there, they started planting land mines on important roads. They have now graduated to ambushing our troops and even going for coordinated attacks on military bases. Our intelligence agencies have no answers to these challenges”.

 Aisabor was even more peeved at the kid gloves with which banditry was being handled by the Federal Government, stating that it should not have allowed Katsina and Zamfara state governments to negotiate with criminals. Aisabor declared that it showed lack of capacity by both the Federal and State Governments.

Concerned that this approach could be counter-productive, the former police boss opined that “the money being given to the bandits to buy ‘peace’ will only give temporary peace as the bandits will utilize such money from the government to acquire more weapons‎. Anytime the money is finished and they are hungry, they will go back to their old ways. I expect the government to fight them to the finish”.

Aisabor was not in the least impressed by the resolution of the Northern Governors’ Forum‎ to revamp agriculture in their region. He believed that the idea may become a tall dream as a result of insecurity. He insisted that the first pre-occupation of the governors should be to join hands with the Federal Government to solve the problem of insecurity, stressing that “development and economic prosperity can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Most of the farms have been taken over by bandits and gun-carrying herdsmen”.