Gen. Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defence, has called for improved intelligence coordination and stronger collaboration among security agencies following the killing of Brig. Gen. O.O. Braimah.
Braimah was killed during an attack on a military base in Benisheikh on Wednesday. It was alleged that the armoured vehicle he attempted to escape in failed to start.
The minister made the call on Friday during a media briefing in Abuja, where he stressed that Nigeria’s fight against insecurity requires a more unified and intelligence-driven approach.
Speaking at the briefing, he described asymmetric warfare as one that depends heavily on intelligence, warning that without effective intelligence gathering, security forces risk operating blindly.
“Intelligence comes in and out through technical intelligence, human intelligence. The need for us to harness all this together, to put them together and work as a team, I think will give us a better leverage,” he said.
He noted that unlike conventional warfare, asymmetric threats often involve invisible enemies who may be embedded within communities.
“That person that you think is your friend that’s close may just be the person that is also planning for you,” he said.
The minister stressed the need for enhanced human intelligence and better coordination among security agencies, adding that existing operations were being carried out in silos.
“We have been operating quite very well, doing extremely well, but in silos. And I think it is high time that we put this together so that whatever it is we’re doing, let us work as a team,” he said.
He added that President Bola Tinubu had directed the security establishment to strengthen “jointness” among the armed forces and intelligence agencies.
“Mr President has directed that we must enhance our jointness. And jointness means every service is important. None is irrelevant, we’re all relevant,” he said.
The minister also emphasised the importance of actionable intelligence that can support troops in the field to respond quickly to threats.
According to him, the aim is to ensure that intelligence gathered from various sources is properly harnessed and converted into operational advantage.
“We need to bring that to bear as professionals… so that we can enhance the capacity of our troops that are out there in the field,” he said.
He further called on Nigerians to support security agencies by providing timely information that could aid operations.
“The troops are working jointly in the field, but the intelligence has not really been fully integrated… this should be a new beginning,” he said.
The briefing comes amid renewed concerns over terrorist attacks in parts of the country, including the recent killing of senior military officers in the northeast.