Rivalry among security agencies hampering war against Boko Haram - Sanusi

Former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday, faulted what he called unhealthy rivalry among security agencies in the country in their fight against insurgency, saying the trend, if not checked, could derail government determination to end Boko Haram activities in December.

Sanusi Lamido

Sanusi spoke on a day Nigerian troops raided several camps of the Boko Haram sect, rescuing 338 persons who were held captive by the terrorists and killing 34 of the insurgents, while declaring 100 of them wanted.

The Emir, who frowned at the inter-security agencies rivalry spoke at the second edition of Nigeria Security Exhibition and Conference held in Abuja, sponsored by the Nigerian Communications commission, NCC, and other agencies.

Sanusi, who was represented by an Assistant Inspector General of Police (retd) and the District Head of Albasu Kingdom in Kano State, Mr. Bashiru Albashir, said that such trend was not the way to go in tackling terrorism of that nature.

Calls for cooperation

He called for cooperation among all the security forces, which he said must complement each other in exchange of intelligence and relevant information relating to security matters.

His words: “I spoke about cooperation among security agencies. Police is a physical security, while Civil Defense is also physical security known and seen by everybody.

“But the Department of State Services, DSS, is undercover security.

“There must be opportunity for the two to complement each other. The DSS will get information and depending how relevant the information is, if it is not sent to Police, they should pass it to the army.

“This understanding and cooperation is what will move us forward, not competing among themselves and saying I am superior to you. That will not help us go anywhere.”

Suggest solutions to insecurity

He advised government to initiate purposeful programmes that will enable the country tackle corruption, poverty, injustice and ignorance, arguing that such steps would surely provide a lasting solution to the current insecurity in the country.

According to him, “terrorism did not start from the air; there are breeding grounds like ignorance, poverty, injustice and corruption. If government is fighting insurgency in the field, in Sambisa Forest and other places, it must also address these fueling agents at the background.

“There must be purposeful programme to tackle corruption, which the present government is doing. Unless we are able to do these, it will take us time to stamp out terrorism.

“The intelligence unit must cooperate with the police so that we can tackle terrorism. What we need is prevention before striking and we cannot prevent the attacks without intelligence.”

Rivalry among security agencies hampering war against Boko Haram - Sanusi

Kano bomb blast planned for two months - Emir Sanusi

THE eemir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi, on Saturday, said the perpetrators of the devastating bomb blast that killed over 120 people and left hundreds injured, planned the attack for two months, though he did not give details to support the claim.

Emir Sanusi Lamido

The emir said this during his visit to the affected Kano Central Mosque, adjacent to his palace.

Sunday Tribune gathered that Sanusi, who was outside the country when the attack occurred, had recently, at the affected mosque, directed civilians to take up arms against the Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram.

The emir also directed, yesterday, that the mosque, which was reportedly blood-stained, be washed and cleaned up.

“From all indications, they (attackers) have been planning this for at least two months,” Sanusi said as he arrived at the mosque straight from the airport, adding that “I have directed that the mosque be washed and cleaned and prayers should continue there.

“We will never be intimidated into abandoning our religion, which is the intention of the attackers.”

Responding to the deadly attack, the chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Environment, Dr. Bukola Saraki, described it as sad and shocking, urging President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to take responsibility for security challenges facing the country.

He expressed the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s readiness to partner with the government in abating the crisis.

Saraki, who spoke with journalists shortly after he obtained the certificate of clearance from the APC screening committee to contest the 2015 elections into the Senate, urged Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliations, to join hands with the Federal Government in sending away terrorism from the country.

Also commenting, leader of the National Action Council (NAC) and Owa’Tapa of Itapa Ijesaland, Dr Olapade Agoro, described the killing as “a highly condemnable desecration of a holy place of worship,” just as he described the perpetrators as “intemperate animals simply after blood-letting.”

Residents foil attack on victims’ hospital

Meanwhile, prompt response from residents, on Friday, averted what could have resulted in another catastrophic incident in Kano, as they descended on a female suicide bomber who was reportedly desperate to gain entry into the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, where most victims of the Friday attack were being treated, to detonate bombs.

Sunday Tribune gathered that no fewer than five suicide bombers were rounded up and killed in the city on Friday, as findings showed that determined worshippers at the Kano Central Mosque actually overpowered an insurgent, who was shooting at the confused worshippers after the bomb blast and set him ablaze.

A source told Sunday Tribune that it took the alertness of sympathisers carrying dead bodies and helping injured victims to the hospital to stop the female suicide bomber who pretended as a sympathiser to gain access into the hospital premises.

“She made frantic effort to detonate the improvised explosive device on her, but the people at the vicinity pounced on her, removed the device and in annoyance, set her ablaze,” the source claimed.

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Kano bomb blast planned for two months - Emir Sanusi