Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Buba Marwa has called for closing key intelligence gaps as a central step in tackling Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
He spoke at the Army War College Nigeria Interagency Seminar in Abuja, where he warned that the country faces a complex mix of threats, including insurgency and terrorism in the North East, farmer herder clashes in the North West and North Central, secessionist agitations in the South East, and organised crime and drug trafficking in the South South and South West.
Marwa said criminals are becoming more sophisticated, using technology, government systems and cross border networks, and insisted that security can no longer be seen as only a military or police issue. He called for a whole of government and whole of society approach that brings together all security agencies and the public.
He stressed the need for stronger operational synergy among the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, NDLEA, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Customs Service. He urged the creation of secure, real time platforms for intelligence sharing, joint training and scenario based drills to improve cooperation and trust.
Marwa also underlined the role of civilians in providing intelligence. He said community policing and public trust are vital for early warning and effective response to security threats.
The seminar, themed Enhancing Intelligence Sharing Across Nigeria’s Security Ecosystem From Friction to Collaboration, was designed to build interagency cooperation and produce practical strategies for a safer Nigeria.
In a paper titled Bridging Intelligence Gaps Among Security Agencies for Enhanced National Security, former Chief of Defence Intelligence Samuel Adebayo warned that poor information sharing remains a serious weakness in Nigeria’s security system.
He said intelligence responsibilities extend beyond traditional agencies to correctional centres, local communities and the wider public. According to him, gaps in coordination often lead to late warnings, incomplete threat pictures and weak responses that criminal groups and insurgents exploit.
Adebayo noted that past and present challenges, from Boko Haram and banditry in the North West to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and cybercrime, have exposed the limits of isolated intelligence operations. He blamed rivalry between agencies, weak coordination and poor integration of information for many of the failures.
He argued that closing these gaps is now a strategic priority for protecting critical infrastructure and vulnerable communities. Better intelligence integration, he said, would help agencies anticipate threats, disrupt hostile plans and respond faster to crises.
Commandant of the Army War College Nigeria Umar Alkali said the course is aimed at giving participants skills in interagency cooperation, strategic analysis and national security management. The seminar drew 100 officers from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force and allied African countries, as well as 43 participants from the police, NDLEA, DSS and other federal agencies.
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