Insecurity: Aregbesola tasks paramilitary agencies on grassroots intelligence gathering

Insecurity: Minister tasks paramilitary agencies on grassroots intelligence gathering

Minister of the interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has charged paramilitary agencies under the ministry to step up efforts in intelligence gathering especially in the grassroots and border communities to combat rising insecurity.

The minister made the charge during the decoration of senior personnel of the agencies from the ranks of Assistant Controller-Generals, Comptroller-Generals and Commandant-General, (ACGs), to the ranks of Deputy Controller-General, Comptroller-Generals and Commandant-Generals, (DCGs), held in Abuja, yesterday.

Aregbesola said that intelligence gathering is key to tackling the security challenges facing the country at present hence the need for renewed efforts at gathering relevant information, especially at the grassroots.

He said “Whenever there is a national discussion on internal security, the interior ministry is at the centre of it therefore we must maximize grassroots penetration for intelligence gathering. 

At the centre of this grassroots penetration is the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, (NSCDC)because they are well-positioned in our communities and among civilians.”

The minister who said that it is difficult to believe that kidnappers and bandits are able to successfully move large numbers of people into the bushes without anyone noticing, also called on the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS), to protect and guard the territorial integrity of Nigeria’s borders.

He further reiterated that the Nigeria Correctional Service has been declared a red zone and all who threaten to break in or out of the prisons are considered as security threats and would be ruthlessly dealt with.

Chairman, the board of the agencies, Mrs. Aisha Ahmed, said the promotion process was rigorous and only those that merited the ranks, were promoted. 

Eight officers were promoted across the agencies; four DCGs in immigration, three DCGs in corrections service and one   DCG in the NSCDC.