Killings by Boko Haram! "Government Does Not Understand Security Dynamics"

"If the government can waive off the US alert, it means they are not serious about information because security is about intelligence and information. For instance, government has no place where it can get information from the public. Until the NSA changes his tactics, there won’t be a resolution of the security threat to the country," these where the words of the one that is fondly referred to as the Mafia Messenger, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, while speaking on the continuous killing of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram with impunity.

Giving his vast experience on security matters and other revelations he made below, it appears those saddled with the responsibility of securing the lives of Nigerians are...

doing so on the basis of 'trial and error', rather than practical knowledge. A former Security Adviser to the Government of Rivers State, Chief Sara-Igbe also described the Government’s reaction to last week alert by the United States on the Boko Haram threat as an indication that it does not understand the dynamics of security.

He said security issue is about information and intelligence, noting that the government had not yet convinced Nigerians that it had the capability and drive to contain terrorism in the country. The ‘Mafia Messenger’ flayed the National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Azazi, for waiving off the US warning. 

Explaining that the alert was not intended for Nigerians but US citizens in the country, he said our security agencies were taking things for granted. He stressed that, being the foremost security-conscious nation in the world at the moment, the US intelligence on security matters should not be dismissed by any serious-minded person, like our security handlers have done.

Chief Sara-Igbe pointed out that Nigeria’s security budget is huge and could be utilised to equip a small unit of trained professionals whose sole objective would be counter-terrorism, but regretted that many of those in charge of the security system are clueless about how to combat the Boko Haram threat. He wondered why they are yet to evolve an effective counter-terrorism measures that could cripple the radical sect, if they are as competent as they want Nigerians believe.

Some advice for the Commander in Chief: the security expert urged President Goodluck Jonathan to look beyond the current security chiefs in his quest for an end to the Boko Haram debacle. In his words: "A few months ago, the President said he had put in place security strategy to contain terrorism, but things haven’t changed as we have experienced bombings and deadly attacks since then. I doubt the ability of our security chiefs to handle the problem because you need knowledge to do so."

He urged the president to look at other qualified Nigerians with an independent mind because, according to him, there are many capable hands in the country who had not been given the opportunity. He said, in the interim, the security agencies should monitor the sect’s financial transactions as well as telephone interception for vital intelligence.

Additional report by ThePUNCH.