Chief of Defence Staff advises youths to contribute to intelligence gathering

Nigerian youths have been encouraged to actively participate in intelligence collecting, community participation, and the incorporation of technology solutions as security measures to combat instability in the country.

General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, provided the advise in Abuja during the National Security Summit with the theme “Curbing Insecurity in Nigeria: Achieving a Robust and Sustainable Economy for a New Nigeria Youth Inclusive in Nation Building.”

The Defence Chief, represented by Rear Admiral Abraham Adole, Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, stated that “youths hold the potential in enhancing the effectiveness of the security efforts.”

According to him, “the idea of Multi-Agency collaboration in Nigeria security domain is not a novel concept.

“However, the pivotal question that confronts us is whether we have fully exploited the benefits of such Corporation, are there still untapped opportunities for improvement?.”

“Extensively, the CDS has visited most security agencies, he has not sat back to wait for them to come to him but proactively they have gone out and met almost all of them.

“All this is in the effort to ensure that we all collaborate in dealing with these security challenges. I am inclined to believe that these questions have informed the choice of the summit team. It is my fervent. Hope that the communication emerging from our deliberations will not only acknowledge the strides made but also propose Innovative and workable strategies to further end insecurities in our beloved nation,” he said.

He acknowledged the meticulous efforts of the Green Assembly initiative and collaborating youth organizers of this summit, saying “organising such an event demands dedication, commitment, and diligence, and your hard work has not gone unnoticed.”

The The Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, represented by the Director of Account and Finance, Mrs. Ebere Moluko, highlighted various security challenges facing the nation, including kidnapping, banditry, cybercrime, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. He emphasised that these activities, including those of state actors, have destabilised communities and pose threats to national security.

Wike said however, through robust collaboration among various security agencies, they have been able to address these issues and are working to ensure that all residents of the FCT can sleep with both eyes closed.

He shared the administration’s efforts, particularly in tackling kidnapping, “one chance,” and other crimes. The administration established a Task Force named Operation Safe FCT, which has significantly reduced these incidents.

Furthermore, the Minister said that the administration, through the FCT management exercise under its command and control, has worked with relevant security agencies to remove shanties and makeshift houses that harbor criminal elements, leading to the arrest of suspected criminals and drug dealers.

The Convener of the 2024 National Security Summit and Chairman of the Green Assembly Initiative, Comrade Duke Alamboye, emphasised the need to involve youths in the fight against insurgency, as many of these activities are perpetrated by youths and can also be solved by them.

He noted that without involving youths, addressing these challenges would be difficult, as they have a crucial role to play.

He added that the “the initiative is gathering data of hundreds of youths to give to security agencies for the youths to start helping in curbing insecurity in the country.”