A security expert, Brig.-Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam rtd., has advised the Federal Government to invest heavily in modern surveillance technology to tackle Boko Haram insurgency.
Abdulsalam, who is also an Adviser on Security Matters to Gov. Mai Mala Buni, gave the advice while speaking with the Defence Correspondent in Damaturu on Tuesday.
He said that the country needed military cooperation with advanced friendly countries to acquire or manufacture drones and missiles suitable for the Nigerian terrain.
The security expert said the country required drones and missiles to attack the insurgents in their locations without troops necessarily going there to engage them.
“ Look at the war between the US, Israel, and Iran, there are no boots on the ground, yet the war continued.
“ It will take you more than two hours to get to Goniri from here. But if you can fire technology, within seconds you have achieved your aim,” Abdulsalam said.
According to him, although troops of Operation HADIN KAI and other security agencies had recorded significant operational successes, the vast operational environment and evolving tactics of insurgents required stronger technological support.
The expert said Yobe had been grappling with insurgency since 2009, with several local government areas bordering Borno State and transnational routes frequently exploited by terrorists for logistics movement and attacks.
He said that despite sustained military offensives, insurgents still attempt to infiltrate communities at night through remote corridors and forest routes.
“From 7 p.m. until early morning, we remain awake monitoring movements because many of the logistics routes pass through Yobe State,” Abdulsalam said.
He commended troops, hunters and intelligence agencies for sustaining pressure on insurgents despite operational fatigue and repeated troop redeployments across various theatres nationwide.
“It is not easy to remain in the theatre of operation for years. Soldiers get tired and burned out, but they continue holding the line,” the expert said.
Abdulsalam said Nigeria’s security challenges had overstretched the military due to deployments across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He, therefore, urged the federal government to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force and other internal security institutions to reduce pressure on the military.
According to him, surveillance systems, drones, sensors and modern monitoring equipment would significantly restrict terrorists’ freedom of movement and operational capacity.
“The moment terrorists move and they are observed immediately, they will lose freedom of action,” the expert said.
Abdulsalam also criticized what he described as a “vendor-driven procurement process,” arguing that security procurement should instead be based on operational needs identified by end users in the field.
He called for government-to-government strategic partnerships with technologically advanced countries capable of producing specialized surveillance and combat equipment tailored to Nigeria’s terrain and operational realities.
The expert added that Nigeria currently lacked sufficient domestic technological capacity to independently develop advanced military surveillance systems required for modern counterterrorism warfare.
Abdulsalam expressed optimism that with sustained military pressure, improved intelligence sharing and deployment of advanced surveillance technology, Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of violent criminality could be significantly degraded across the country.
He also reiterated the importance of continued support for local hunters, vigilantes and forest guards who assist troops in blocking infiltration routes and securing vulnerable rural communities. (NAN)
