EzeUche:

Boko Haram - Lawmaker Warns Against Military Action

Benin — A member of the House of Representatives, Rasaq Bello-Osagie has warned as employing military action to tackle the Boko Haram sect.

Speaking in Benin, at the weekend, he called for investment in intelligence gathering, saying that would be able to tackle the problem posed by the group.

Bello-Osagie, who represents Oredo federal constituency at the House of Representatives, described the issue as very sensitive, and added that military action as being proposed by certain groups, would not solve the problem, but would rather escalate it.

"I think the country should invest in intelligence gathering. We need information, it is not at all times that we should revert to military action.

I think that if we can know the people, know where they are through superior intelligence gathering, we will know how to engage them.

It is a sensitive matter. For now, it is like we are fighting the fifth columnist, we don't know the faces of those we are fighting, all we hear is that people are being killed," he said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201107121033.html

DeCleff:

yes what the country needs is to improve it's inteligence. I also think that is high for our security angencies to step up and do things like the CIA and FBI, They should send some of their intel officer to join the sect and get information on how they operate, because its impossible to track them down if their strategies remained veiled. Let them intel men go and join them ( boko haram) to report relevant informations to the authorities to help in bringing these deadly acts to a stand still. Let the army, navy, airforce, police and sss seat down watch the film titled 24hours information, it is not at all times that we should revert to military action.

I think that if we can know the people, know where they are through superior intelligence gathering, we will know how to engage them.

It is a sensitive matter. For now, it is like we are fighting the fifth columnist, we don't know the faces of those we are fighting, all we hear is that people are being killed," he said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201107121033.html

yes what the country needs is to improve it's inteligence. I also think that is high for our security angencies to step up and do things like the CIA and FBI, They should send some of their intel officer to join the sect and get information on how they operate, because its impossible to track them down if their strategies remained veiled. Let them intel men go and join them ( boko haram) to report relevant informations to the authorities to help in bringing these deadly acts to a stand still. Let the army, navy, airforce, police and sss seat down watch the film titled 24hours

Dude, the DSS/SSS, NIA, Police IB, and DIA have been in the business of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) for quite a while now, just like their fellow foreign intelligence counterparts. It's their bread and butter. SSS operators in particular has been responsible for the infiltration of most deadly groups, including Boko Haram, within the country and covertly collected intelligence on key players, financiers, supply routes, etc; intel that lead to the neutralization of such groups or their key players. Now I know that there's always room for improvement, particularly in utilizing ELINT/SIGINT assets, but i think the problem here is intel sharing between the services and utilization of acquired intel, particularly by operational units like the Police MOPOL, Police Anti-Terror Squadron (ATS), and the military.

agitator:

everybody was supporting OBJ for leveling Odi, Zakibiam, etc, and accusing GEJ for being slow, now he has sent in the military people know have mouth to talk.

I never wanted the guy to be presido but these set him up attitude can never help us.

If it was OBJ! if it was OBJ!

Now OBJ tactics are employed and everybody is crying foul.

You think any government can infiltrate a group in 1-month and you get results.

Pennywise:

This lawmaker Rasaq Bello-Osagie should be arrested and a thorough investigation conducted on him and the widely held speculation that BH gets support from Nigerians occupying high office.

His statement as a public official is capable of splitting the military with catastrophic consequence for national security. If the military succeded in stamping out the menace of maitatsine what stops it from doin the same thing with another fundamentalist public nuisance?

In the meantime, the Government should enforce a news blackout for the duration of military action on BH.