A civil society and citizen’s groups coalition, Citizens Stability Forum, (CSF), has warned against what it described as routine disregard, and lack of appreciation of critical intelligence provided by the country’s lead spook agency, the Department of State Services (DSS) ahead of next year’s election.
The group, made up of a coalition of security experts, and conscious citizens on the spate of insecurity in the country, also called on well-meaning individuals, and relevant security agencies to specially commend the current Director General, DG, DSS, Yusuf Bichi, given critical intelligence his agency has provided as back up to fighting insurgency and banditry, so far.
According to CSF, grave security breaches that have happened in the country were caused by the lack of collaboration and synergy between security agencies in the country.
The group, in statement signed by the duo of Muktar Lawal and John Azi, Lead Convener and Co-Convener, respectively, said, “The most disturbing aspect been the continuous disregard to security intelligence provided by DSS to the Military, Police and Paramilitary security agencies, something that in some countries can be treated as a treasonable offence”.
CSF alarm may not be unfounded given the series of insecurity episodes blamed on disregard of intelligence by the DSS, some of which were harped on by the Forum.
The group further commended the Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Bichi, over his role saying that the security agency being ability to hold its own under the circumstances is largely due to his dexterity. ”A lot of the success and ability of the DSS to meet up with its own security responsibility is down to the excellent leadership from the DSS hierarchy, led by Yusuf Bichi”, the group said.
