Predictably, the terrorist attack on Kuje Custodial Centre on July 5 has escalated fear among residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs. “In Abuja, nobody walks freely now because of this incident,” the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Correctional Service, Edwin Anayo, was reported saying. According to him, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had recaptured 421 inmates who fled the custodial facility, but 454 were still at large.
The committee is investigating the alarming raid on the prison. The Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack that led to the escape of many terrorists and other inmates. It is disturbing that terrorists freed terrorists.
The prison attack informed a letter, dated July 8, from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), FCT Command, to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
“Certified intelligence reveals that members of the decimated terrorist group ISWAP have concluded plans to launch more coordinated and spontaneous attacks on selected targets within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” the NSCDC wrote.
It advised that “counter measures be emplaced,” adding, “There is a need to review existing security measures around such targets and other sensitive facilities with security formations in FCT to frustrate the planned attack.” The letter said the information was to prompt “necessary action.”
It is unclear how the letter got into the public domain. It was not meant for public consumption. The leakage that the intelligence was exposed, possibly even to the terrorist group concerned. This was counterproductive.
NSCDC spokesperson Shola Odumosu explained why the letter was sent to the FCTA, the ministry that administers the Federal Capital Territory, and faulted the leakage. “Every security agency gives intelligence reports to the concerned authority from time to time and this one from the NSCDC is not an exception,” he said. “The leakage of the letter is not good for the battle the government is fighting against the insurgents.”
The organisation needs to clarify its definition of “the concerned authority.” The NSCDC is a paramilitary organisation that plays a role in national security in conjunction with the Nigeria Police. Did the corps share the same intelligence with the police and other relevant security agencies? It seems that did not happen.
Although the FCTA administers the federal capital, in security matters, such as the one in question, relevant security agencies were in better position to respond to the intelligence than the ministry.
The corps perhaps expected the ministry to act on the intelligence by sharing it with the appropriate security agencies. But that amounts to rigmarole. Security is an urgent issue, and should be treated with a sense of urgency. This is why the communication to the ministry was odd.
Besides this oddity, it would be surprising if, for instance, security agencies like the Department of State Security (DSS), the Nigeria Armed Forces, and the Nigeria Police were unaware of the intelligence the NSCDC shared with the FCTA. The mentioned security agencies are supposed to be more intelligence-oriented than the NSCDC. It is not expected that these agencies would wait for such intelligence from the corps.
This issue raises questions about intelligence sharing among the country’s security agencies. Are there standard procedures, for instance?
The value of inter-agency cooperation in security matters cannot be overemphasised. This is why the NSCDC communication was misdirected in the first place. Tackling insecurity in the country demands collaborative efforts by security agencies, not actions that suggest rivalry.
The situation calls for increased vigilance. FCT Police Command Public Relations Officer Josephine Adeh was reported saying: “We are on alert; we have beefed up security as expected. Our advice to residents is that they should be alert.” Other relevant security agencies should also be on alert.
Importantly, apart from improving security, authorities should ensure that the Kuje prison escapees still at large are recaptured as part of efforts to make the federal capital safe.