Follow Us on Google
As a greenhorn reporter with National Concord newspaper (now defunct) in 1981, rewriting press releases and monitoring network news and international radio broadcast, when I complained openly in the newsroom to the hearing of my news editor that I was as qualified as other reporters who were assigned news beats. My aggression was leaked and immediately reported to the managing director, Dr. (Mrs.) Doyin Abiola, who instantly directed the news editor to post me to cover the Nigeria Customs Service at the seaports in Apapa and Tin- Can Island, Lagos, specifically to “investigate the activities of port rats.” That was how my closeness with the activities of Customs officers began. There, I met officers like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and many others. The institution had over the years been a pride of the nation, raking in billions of naira year in and year out as national income from import licenses and charges, arresting smugglers and economic saboteurs operating around the ports and national borders. The Customs became the goose that lays the golden egg for the country. However, in recent times, because leaders that are not trained in Customs duties and organisational structure are injected into the system, the organisation is not only over-stepping its bounds but also delving into areas that only angels tread.
A confidential intelligence report in the possession of the Customs alleged that Boko Haram members have filtered into and secured camps and strategic areas of the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring Nasarawa State, with a view to carring out dastardly criminal operations on innocent Nigerians. The leaked intelligence report emphatically stated that Boko Haram had established camps in and around the FCT, which constitutes serious security concerns to the seat of power. The leaked internal memo issued by H.A. Sabo, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller General, Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, was signed and dated September 4, 2020.
Sequel to this, there was pandemonium around all security agencies in the country. Instantly, the intelligence community in the country was ordered to be on red alert and security-conscious at all times. Despite the fact that certain places were mentioned in the intelligence report, the head of the defence media operations, Major General John Enenche, immediately issued a statement reassuring members of the society of their safety, however, urging every citizen to be extra vigilant.
The Customs memo further added, “They are reported to have set up their camps in the following identified enclaves: Kunyam bush, along Airport Road, off DIA staff quarters, Abuja, Robochi/Gwagwalada forest, Kwaku forest Kuje-Abuja, Unaisha forest in Tata Local Government of Nasarawa State, Gegu Forest close to Idu town in Kogi State.”
The Customs is known to disseminate information mainly on arrest of smugglers and importers of fake goods and contraband items, not sensitive security information. Such information is supposed to be channelled to the appropriate quarters of the Federal Government for necessary action.
This writer wrote about the “Evil of inter-agency rivalry”(August 13 ,2020) recently. Understanding the shaky security situation in the country, what ought to be the paramount consideration of the Customs Service before releasing the memo should be national interest. Indeed security observers had expected those in Customs to be more circumspect with such intelligence reports.
The truth is that they are not thoroughly trained in handling and disseminating such sensitive intelligence, so it was later leaked to the society.
If the intelligence unit of the Customs were well trained, they would have known that leakage of intelligence attracts severe penalty. More worrisome is the fact that even the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hamid Ali, who knows the sensitivity of security intelligence, was quoted as saying “he has, however, not authorised the issuance of any internal memo to his commands on the subject of their discovery.”
Customs, in recent times, has been caught in such inter-agency rivalry. The most recent was their entanglement with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Following the Tramadol crisis in the country and the entire West African sub-region, the agency gathered intelligence on the shipment of illicit Tramadol into the country. The intelligence available to the NDLEA was passed to the NCS in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation. Two of the suspected containers first arrived at the Apapa Port late last year, followed by another 12, until a total of 62 of them later berthed. Customs was alledged to have botched the intelligence report, according to the agency.
It is not enough to close the chapter bearing in mind the gravity of such confidential leakage. Now that the Customs helmsman had washed his hands like Pontus Pilate, then the route of leakage should be thouroughly investigated because of the pressure it mounted on both security agencies and members of the public cannot be quantified.
———————————————————————————-
Dingyadi’s hunger for legacy (1)
Men of sterner stuff always go for goals that help in enriching their institutions and the society at large. This class is where the dynamic Minister for Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammad Dingyadi, fits. He assumed office on August 21, 2019, sequel to the rebirth of the Ministry of Police Affairs by President Muhammad Buhari. Since then, he had quietly been carrying out impressive reorganization in the police and had decided to showcase his achievements, which security observers described as laudable for a man whose appointment was political to be able to understand the intricate nature of the police, making an indelible impression.
His briefs, among others, include to initiate, formulate and implement policies and programmes relating to policing and internal security as well as provide supervision and administrative support to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Police Academy (POLAC) and newly established Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF). His first step was an inward search of abandoned projects with a view to appraising current status to build sustainable policing architecture capable of deepening safety of life and property across the country.
Also, the strong desire to leave a legacy necessitated the resuscitation of the $470 million National Public Security Communication System (NPSCS) network, popularly called the CCTV project. This project was executed to a lesser degree of success prior to the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2015. Work is ongoing to fully revive NPSCS projects, through concession arrangements, to help ease communication challenges hampering advancement of police operations, provide intelligence, surveillance and quick response by NPF.
The project, when fully operational, will generate over two million well-paying jobs for unemployed youths. Interestingly, none of his policies have attracted any controversial comments, this is mainly due to the efficient and capable hands of Dr. Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, assisting in the task of revamping policing framework in the country.
(To be continued)
