How is it that terrorists are not short of weapons? — Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has questioned how terrorists are getting sophisticated weapons despite the closure of borders.
Buhari said this in a statement signed by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.
Speaking at the virtual meeting with members of NGF Security Committee and heads of security agencies at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari called for improved intelligence sharing among different security agencies.
Buhari debunked commonly-held assumptions that terrorists in the North-East have far more weapons and money than the government, and that what is left of them are “mere scavengers desperate for food, raiding shops and markets, and killing innocent persons in the process.”
“In spite of the fact that borders with neighbouring countries had been shut, bandits and terrorists continued to have access to small weapons.
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”These terrorists are in the localities. How is it that they are not short of small arms?” he queried the security and intelligence chiefs.
“We have said enough on the need for them to rejig their operations. I am glad that there is better synergy and cooperation, which are very important. I have directed the service chiefs to meet among themselves in-between the National Security Council meeting.
“The services have resources; yes, they need more, and mobility, and are doing their best, but there is need for better gathering and interpretation of intelligence. Our intelligence-gathering must be improved.”
The President informed the governors of the imminent shipment of weapons and aircraft from Jordan, China and the United States, but again asked for patience on the part of the public because the new weapons and aircraft must be manned by trained fighters and pilots who must first receive appropriate training.
“They are cooperating with us. On Boko Haram, we are making progress with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon,” he said, restating that intelligence-gathering must improve to be able to track small arms in the North-West, North-Central and North-East states.
Buhari also expressed satisfaction with the level of naval activities in the Gulf of Guinea, using newly-acquired equipment, but demanded that hard-to-reach areas of Lake Chad where Boko Haram terrorists have found new havens, as well as the forests now inhabited by bandits, must be accessed and rid of nefarious elements.
“The Chief of Defence Staff has spoken about their study of the forests and their potential danger to security. We must make sure we follow the bandits and terrorists, but there must not be deforestation, in view of the climate situation,” the president said.
Daily Times reports that the three-hour meeting, attended by six governors, representing each of the six geopolitical zones, focused on the country’s security policies and approaches in tackling internal security challenges, with a charge that intelligence-gathering and sharing must be optimized for the nation to secure itself.
