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A coalition of rights groups have asked the Minister of Defence and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to immediately restructure military intelligence agencies if the war against terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other crimes ravaging the country must be won, saying warfare can only be effectively prosecuted through vibrant intelligence gathering.

In a joint statement signed by Dr Aliyu Bello of Peace and Conflict Resolution Initiative and Ambassador Jude Uchenna of Alliance for Justice and Peace and issued in Abuja on Wednesday in reaction to media reports that sixty-three vigilantes otherwise known as “yan sa ka” were killed on Monday by bandits in Zuru area of Kebbi state.

“The deaths of that vigilante in Kebbi is highly regrettable and could have been avoided. The complete absence of intelligence is constantly frustrating every security effort. There is a limit to what this untrained vigilante and even trained soldiers can do except they’re backed up by accurate and timely intelligence which is sadly missing in Nigeria today, especially under the new leadership of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) whose sole responsibility is to coordinate and provide the security agencies with intelligence”, the statement noted.

The CSO also urged the presidency to as a matter of urgency rise to the challenge by ensuring that the practice of rewarding loyalty does not apply in appointing people into intelligence units of the military as it is sadly the case now.

“We are saddened to discover that the DIA and other sensitive intelligence appointees are people who were loyal to formal service chiefs whose tenures were marred with gross inefficiency. They are not professionals nor are they competent. This is totally unacceptable and must be reversed immediately to give direction and purpose to the war against insecurity in Nigeria. We can’t continue to use the political reward system in sensitive issues such as national security”, the statement added.

While urging the federal government to ensure that only merit should be the watchword in the appointment of security and an intelligence officer as well as recruitments, the CSO tasked the federal government to immediately restructure the DIA to pave way for competent and trained hands who can do their jobs diligently.

“As a matter of urgency, we call on the presidency to immediately sack the current occupants of Defence Intelligence Agency and replace them with trained and seasoned professionals. This is the time to put round pegs in round holes and not the other way round”, the statement added.

The CSO further noted with dismay the inability of the Minister of Defense to even address the nation on the carnage going on in Niger States. The CSO equally lamented the kidnapping of a priest two days ago in Kaduna with no arrests made so far. This is the height of cluelessness and inefficiency.

“Silence is connivance. The silence of the relevant security operatives is emboldening criminal elements all over Nigeria. Their continued stay in the office will hurt the war against terror more than we can imagine. Mr President must therefore act immediately to save the country from turning into a death field, the statement added.

Vanguard News Nigeria