Inter agency intelligence

Last week the fight against corruption embarked by the President Muhammadu Buhari, administration suffered a setback when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were prevented from arresting two suspects, the former Director General of the Department of State Services, Ita Ekpeyong and former boss of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke.  According […]

Last week the fight against corruption embarked by the President Muhammadu Buhari, administration suffered a setback when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were prevented from arresting two suspects, the former Director General of the Department of State Services, Ita Ekpeyong and former boss of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke. 

According to news report ‘No fewer than 30 well armed DSS operatives were dispatched from the DSS headquarters in Abuja to tackle the EFCC operatives and block them from taking their former DG away’, ‘Operatives of the NIA also blocked the EFCC from arresting the former DG of the agency’.

When news of the unfortunate event hit the news wave, Nigerians were thrown into confusion as to whether these government agencies actually work hand in hand for the common good of the country, or are they working independent of the other, with different purposes from that of Nigeria? 

Events like this making the news in Nigeria with the level of technological advancement and the level of our democracy are reasons why some advanced countries are wary about the country’s fight against corruption. 

According to Ahmed Adoke in his article ‘Intelligence gathering-bane of Nigerian Security Agencies’, “The failure of these security agencies (the police, army, the state security services etc) despite the huge yearly budgetary allocations is largely due to their failure in the area of intelligence gathering and sharing of such intelligence reports with other relevant security agencies.”

In developed countries, the security agency in custody of the suspect needed to be arrested would be informed of the warrant of arrest issued against a suspect in their protective custody. The DSS in the instant case will apprehend the suspect in their custody, and ensure a smooth sail of the arrest and search needed for investigation. 

Unfortunately in Nigeria, some operatives of our security agencies have taken government job to be a personal/family affair, to the extent that loyalists of one security agency can prevent operatives of another agency from doing their job.

It is sad that DSS operatives had no issue carrying out a stint operation against Supreme Court justices, officers of the judicial arm of the government in the middle of the night, and are now protecting an ex-officer of theirs from facing the ambit of the law. Report has it that the DSS claimed to be investigating the former DSS DG that is why they refused handing the suspect over to EFCC operatives.

Which proves my point, there ought to be synergy of intelligence gathering between all security agencies for the general good of Nigeria. In the instant case, the EFCC ought to hint the DSS of their investigation on the past DG with a warrant for his arrest, in the event that the former DG is truly under investigation, then all logistics would be sorted out, instead of dragging the country’s name in the mud where two security agencies of the same government will hinder one from carrying out its constitutional duties.

It is crystal clear under the Nigerian Legal System that no one is above the law, not even a former DG of DSS or NIA

It does not make any logical sense for one security agency to prevent another agency from arresting a suspect due to his/her status or pedigree in the nation’s political scene. To ensure that wailers are not given something to wail about the fight against corruption, our security agencies should re-organise inter agency intelligence to ensure that national embarrassment of this sort does not occur again.

There ought to be a secure platform where information is synchronised between all security agencies, if not for the fight against corruption but to curb heinous crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, numerous killing of innocent Nigerians. 

As provided by the constitution, the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, and so these security agencies owe it a constitutional duty to do what is necessary to protect the lives and properties of citizens, and this includes upgrading their intelligence gathering and collation to ensure better life for Nigerians.

Godspeed!   

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