As part of efforts to urgently tackle the lingering insurgency in the North-east, the federal government has ordered more sophisticated intelligence-gathering equipment for the Nigerian armed forces, as well as intelligence agencies, THISDAY has learnt. Also monday, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, assured Nigerians that Nigerian military was on course in its campaign against Boko Haram terrorists despite the difficult terrain and other challenges. Nigerian military strategists and counter-terrorism planners are said to be redefining their operations for a more timely, information driven and actionable intelligence strategy. This prompted the order for the purchase of modern intelligence-gathering gadgets, as well as building the capacity of the personnel at all levels. According to a highly placed intelligence source, there is a shift in strategy and serious attention is being given to the intelligence agencies which is reflected in most of the recent gains recorded, including arrests of several kidnappers, terrorist kingpins and other criminal elements. It was further revealed that the ‘Operation Safe Corridor’ initiated and led by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) is part of this shift in strategy, which, according to sources, had been effective in the campaign against Boko Haram terrorists. A senior military officer informed THISDAY that the DIA had developed an effective strategy for tracking Boko Haram, and had been supplying actionable and timely intelligence to the air and land forces. “The president, as I am talking to you is putting a lot of efforts to build up effective intelligence capacity as more sophisticated equipment and gadgets are being ordered. We have improved our human intelligence as I speak and it’s very effective and what we need to complete it is the more advanced intelligence facilities, which you know of course we have to order and the president has done that. I can therefore assure you that things will improve tremendously because what we met on ground was very backward. “So what we are building is a modern type of intelligence network and capacity that after this crisis, any future attempt to re-invent these terrorist groups can always be nipped in the bud. This was not possible in the past because we did not prepare for this type of crisis. So the DIA, police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other intelligence bodies are working day and night to ensure that they supply critical intelligence to the fighting and enforcement forces,” the source said. In addition, the Nigerian military is said to have developed a sophisticated intelligence network with neighbouring countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LBCBC) to the extent that the Boko Haram insurgents are being cornered on all sides of the border. “I can tell you that the information network between us — Chad, Cameroun and Niger Republic — is water- tight,” the source said. According to him, the intelligence network “is so effective that we all know exactly where they are and as well as their movements and are on course to meeting the presidential mandate to end Boko Haram deadly exploits on Nigerian soil”. “What we are even doing right now is a blockade to achieve the mandated deadline. Also let me make it clear that the president did not say we must end terrorism by December. What he said clearly is that in three months’ time, we must deny them any access to our territory. Terrorism is not something that you just end like that,” the officer explained. He further revealed that the military and intelligence agencies were on the verge of perfecting their capacity to detect any Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) right from a distance before it could actually reach its targets. “So the intelligence agencies are working round the clock and the next stage is building capacity for advanced intelligence and to acquire the right kind of equipment which the president has ordered. “I want to let you know that with the arrival of these advanced gadgets and improved capacity, very soon, we will have in place enough capacity to detect even IEDs from a distance,” the source revealed. Military analysts believe that the latest order shows the preparedness of the government for a new phase in its counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency (CT COIN) operations in the country. Buratai in a chat with THISDAY yesterday said Nigerian troops were not deterred by the terrorists change of tactics including the use of girl-child suicide bombers and proliferation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in parts of the North-east. He said that the Nigerian Army had recovered a lot of territories and IED-making factories from the terrorists. “Our troops are in action with more IED factories discovered, IED materials and challenging terrain. This is still not deterring the troops’ push,” he said. He recalled that sometime in October, “a suicide bomber tried to infiltrate into our location, but was accosted by our troops in collaboration with local vigilantes. “She immediately on sighting the troops and vigilantes triggered off the explosives on her. She instantly scattered into pieces killing a vigilante in the process”. Also, the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, in a statement yesterday said that Nigerian troops from 243 Battalion, 5 Brigade Nigerian Army on fighting patrol encountered some suspected elements of Boko Haram insurgents holed up in a primary school in Duwabafi village, Borno State, on Sunday. Usman said that there was heavy exchange of gunfire in which the patrol killed four of the suspected terrorists, recovered two AK-47 rifles, four various sizes of solar energy panels, several types of drugs and five motorcycles. He also said: “The patrol has returned to base and further restrategising for more onslaught on all remaining vestiges of Boko Haram elements within the area.” Nigerian military had been waging a relentless campaign against Boko Haram, a terror group that has displaced over 2.3 million people since May 2013. The group has also killed more than 17,000 people since 2009, including over 10,000 in 2014 alone. The terror group has also carried out mass abductions including almost 300 schoolgirls from Chibok, a town in Northeast Nigeria, in April 2014. In mid-2014, Boko Haram militants gained control of swathes of territory in three Northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. The insurgents were however expelled by Nigerian troops from a chunk of the territory they occupied in the run up to the last general election. A sustained military campaign has greatly degraded the capability of the group, but it has continued to attack soft targets through suicide bombings. Recently, Borno State Governor Shettima disclosed that the deadly group still controls two of the state’s local governments. In another development, findings have revealed how Nigerian intelligence agencies collaborated to track down the leader of the Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu. Information had it that Kanu, who is currently in the DSS custody, was tracked down from his base abroad by the combined efforts of NIA, DIA, DSS and other related agencies, with his movement and communications monitored until he was lured back to Nigeria where he was arrested. A source said: “You can see how we collaborated to arrest Nnamdi Kanu, the Biafran boy. It was a highly coordinated and collaborative efforts to track him right from abroad. We monitored and followed his movement including who he was communicating with and where he was going to until we nabbed him.”

Sai BBAABBBAA

to fight boko haram or what..

we hear

Embezzlement loading.

dialfa:
Embezzlement loading.

Must you show ur stupidity

IbnSultaan:

Must you show ur stupidity

giving intelligent equipments to morons is like polishing a turd

Criminals and other allied groups take note and be warned!

dialfa:

giving intelligent equipments to morons is like polishing a turd

with adequate training security forces will make use of it