National Security - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Folashade Adeniran
Apr, Thu, 2025

Tinubu directs security overhaul to end violence

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By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed an immediate overhaul of national security strategies, demanding urgent action to end the escalating violence in Borno, Benue, Plateau and Kwara.

The President who met with security chiefs at the State House, Abuja, for more than two hours, said the killing of innocent people in Borno, Benue and Plateau must cease.

“Enough is enough,” President Tinubu declared as he once again condemned the senseless targeting of innocent Nigerians, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman, said in a statement.

Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), told State House correspondents that the service chiefs briefed the President on all the attacks in the states, the death toll, and the destruction of property.

The NSA said President Tinubu ordered a new approach to tackling the security challenges.

Ribadu noted that the President also actively monitored and gave instructions during his work visit to Paris and London.

“Mr President gave us the chance to come and brief him again. It lasted very long. We gave him an update on what was going on.

“Even when he was out there, he was constantly in touch, giving directives and following developments.

“Today, we had the opportunity to come and brief him again, and it lasted hours. It was a very detailed briefing, and it was exhaustive,” said Ribadu.

He said the security chiefs listened to Tinubu and took instructions from him.

“The fact is that Mr President is insisting that we work harder to restore security in the country.

“We gave him information on what has been happening and assured him of our commitment. We had carried out his instructions.

“We went to places with incidences of insecurity, such as Plateau, Benue, and Borno States.

“We went to those particular three states. We gave him feedback because he had directed us earlier to go and meet with the political authorities there,” he stated.

The NSA said the President highlighted the need to involve the local councils and state governments more in tackling cases of insecurity.

“The President directed that we work more with governors. He was very worried and concerned at the meeting. He said, ‘Enough is enough!” said Ribadu.

He said the attackers usually targeted innocent citizens by planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and targeting ungoverned areas. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Tayo Ikujuni

NIPSS boss calls for data harmonisation, utilisation to address national challenges

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jan, Tue, 2025

Defence/Security

NIPSS boss calls for data harmonisation, utilisation to address national challenges

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By Sumaila Ogbaje

Prof. Ayo Omotayo, Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), has called for harmonisation of data for all agencies of government to utilise in addressing national security and developmental challenges.

Omotayo made the call at the opening of the Leadership Course in Data Mining and Geospatial Intelligence, organised by the institute in collaboration with Peace Building Development Consult (PBDC), on Monday Abuja.

The course was being hosted by the Defence Space Administration (DSA).

He lamented that there were different organisations holding large and fertile sets of data that were not connected with any other organisation making it difficult to readily have access to needed data at a given time.

According to him, we find ourselves looking for data that already some people have gathered and that they surely have, that they can easily use.

Omotayo said the course was designed to build an ecosystem of data miners to conserve resources, and be able to interrogate things.

“Our research efforts have shown that a whole lot of data in Nigeria is sitting in isolation. That is, we have data centers that are lonely and have important data on Nigerian citizens on the space and the rest of it.

“So we decided to run this course because we feel that there is a need for synergy amongst the agencies that gather data.

“If you have data sitting at different critical spaces in Nigeria, there should be a need for us to link this data together for the security of the nation.

“Your NIN number should follow you anywhere you go so that whatever you do in the Nigerian space, we can find you at that point, wherever you interact on any space, economic or social.

“We believe that for those who engage in nefarious activities, it will be easy to find them,” he said.

The NIPSS boss said the course was also designed to develop leadership skills in bringing together those who run data centres and those who took critical decisions concerning Nigerian citizens, growing the economy in the business world and everywhere.

He said the institute was partnering with the Defence Space Administration as a critical data centre for Nigeria.

On his part, Mr Kayode Bolaji, Executive Director of PBDC, said the course helps participants to understand their strengths and weaknesses with a view to combining strengths to be able to provide security for the nation.

Bolaji said that data was not just about security and intelligence gathering but also about geo-locating where resources were and knowing which agency or industry to connect with, to be able to assess a particular resource.

He said the current course, being the second in the series, had participants for the private sector, as well from security, intelligence and other government agencies.

He said the course would take advantage of the DSA’s facilities to conduct study tours of all its units to broaden the knowledge of the participants.

“We also expect that they will find a way to connect with security agencies to be able to use some of the data that they have to help in security management.

“That is not something that is common in Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Yakubu Uba