Collapse of intelligence gathering by DSS, Police worsening insecurity –– APC

Worsening insecurity across Nigeria has been partly attributed to the collapse of intelligence gathering system, which is the primary duty of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Nigeria Police. The legal adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Chief Adegoke Ogunsola, disclosed this in Osogbo yesterday. Ogunsola advocated a rejig of intelligence gathering units of DSS and the Police, arguing that they have defaulted in furnishing governments with necessary intelligence reports that would tame incessant attacks and brigandage across the country.

The APC chieftain called on the Federal Ministry of Defence, the newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and the DSS Director General, Yusuf Magaji Bichi to be proactive in gathering intelligence reports that would assist governments in forestalling attacks.

He flayed former IGP Adamu for concluding that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were responsible for the attacks on Correctional Centre and Police Headquarters in Imo, without proper investigation.

According to him, the contradictions between Adamu’s claims and that of Governor Hope Uzodimma, who accused his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha and other politicians of carrying out the attacks, are pointers to the collapse of the nation’s intelligence gathering system.

Ogunsola said: “It was too hasty for the former IGP to have accused IPOB of attacking the correctional centre and police station because he has not done any investigation…

“Before you point accusing finger at somebody, you must have laid your hands on certain intelligence report… The DSS, which was established to take care of information or to get to the root of matters before they happened, is not helping in this regard. In those days, we knew DSS operatives to be proactive in gathering intelligence reports. Before something happened, they would have known and got information about it and release it to government, which ensured that such was stopped.

“DSS operatives used to be on the streets and had their ears to the ground to prevent insecurity or attacks. But appropriate departments in the Police and DSS are no longer gathering intelligence reports… All concerned security outfits should be up and doing.”