Defense Intelligence Agency: Traducers and Needless Attacks, by Zakary Bidoma

Editor's note: Zakary Bidoma in this article gives a backgrounder on the activities Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) as a foremost intelligence outfit as he further addresses issues on insecurity and terrorism.

Intelligence gathering and sharing are inevitably major weapons in the fight against insecurities, especially violent crimes that are associated with terrorism and insurgency.

Sequel to that, just as other countries across the globe, Nigeria was also not left behind in establishing a number of intelligence-based security organizations saddled with the responsibility of protecting the country against any form of threats.

However, I have always been asking myself times without number on whether the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA, was the only intelligence body in Nigeria when it comes to folly and thoughtless attacks by mischievous and miscreant elements who always wish to create confusion, disharmony and raise tension within the military ranks of Nigeria.

These faceless traducers who at the same time being the agents of doom have been hiding behind the curtain on several occasions to launch their aggressive and malicious campaigns against the country's highest military intelligence gathering body.

On all occasions, their baseless attacks are particularly targeted at the leadership of the agency, presided by unassuming, vibrant, and workaholic, Major General Samuel Adebayo. A spy chief who would rather allow other security services to take credits for the efforts of his agency.

DIA is the foremost military intelligence body mandated with the sole aim of providing intelligence to the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN, and the Defense Ministry. In addition, it also coordinates their activities and that of other security agencies including the Police, DSS, NIA among others, especially on counterinsurgency among other intelligence-driven joint operations.

Over the years, DIA has been discharging its functions with a high level of professionalism and patriotism. Alas, it is disheartening to learn that some sponsored anonymous bigots who are afraid to unmask their faces are always in a waylay position to at the slightest opportunity to unjustly descend on the caliber of DIA and its leadership.

Recently, a shadowy body known as Coalition of Rights Groups the Peace and Conflict Resolution Initiative, led by one Aliyu Bello and Ambassador Jude Uchenna of Alliance for Justice and Peace petitioned the Minister of Defence and National Security Adviser to restructure the military intelligence agencies.

According to them, this is necessary, should the country be on a clear course to surmount the lingering security challenges emanating as a result of banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and other forms of criminalities.

However, in order to show their true color and unveil their malicious intent, the sponsored group did not hesitate in calling for the outright sack of the current leadership of the DIA. Why do they always attack the DIA Chief who, upon his short time in office, has brought a lot of success stories to the table against insecurities in the country? Or is it that their sponsors hold personal grudges against the Agency's Chief and decided to foolishly use national security at the expense of Nigeria to settle their scores without first considering the national interest?

To set the record straight, the DIA has so far deserved nothing from the responsible public but accolades regarding the ongoing fight against insecurities across the nooks and crannies of the country.

Thanks to credible military intelligence, a lot of high-profile criminals including the notorious bandits' kingpins and ISWAP/Boko Haram top commanders have been eliminated alongside their gang members.

But, it is amazing that some pseudo and faceless CSOs were never there to cheer up and commend our troops for their victories against non-state actors and other enemies of the state. Is this not a conspiracy of the highest order?

For example, recently, not less than 200 bandits were killed by the Nigerian air troops component of Operation Thunder Strike and Operation Gama Aiki in the Ghana community of Niger State. Reports indicated that the military acted upon receiving credible intelligence from the higher level of the military intelligence regarding the converging of bandit-terrorists in a particular location.

Were the so-called CSOs not aware of this news that dominated the entire public space? Surprisingly, apart from issuing press releases from their hideouts, rather than hosting press conferences, the so-called CSOs never appreciated the gallantry and the bravery of Nigerian troops.

It is worthy to note that DIA is behind most intelligence-driven joint military operations. Some of them included the eliminations of most wanted notorious bandits' kingpins, Alhaji Auta and Kachalla in the forest within the axis of Zamfara in January 2022; the drowning of ISWAP fighters in Marte River due to sustained multiple airstrikes in February 2022; the elimination of Mallam Ari, ISWAP senior commander who is in charge of Kirta Wulgo and foreign mercenaries fabricating Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) for the terrorists.

Similarly, markets in so-called ISWAP caliphates were destroyed by ground troops in Borno among several operations.

Since last year, some of the faceless but obviously sponsored groups have always looked for any opportunity to attack military intelligence services.

In November 2021, they claimed that lack of intelligence led to the killing of General Zirkushu alongside other gallant officers in Borno state by the ISWAP fighters. They also claimed that internal wrangling within the military hierarchy was slowing down the war against criminalities and insurgency in Nigeria. The pseudo groups, who are afraid to unmask their face, could not provide concrete evidence to substantiate their baseless allegations.

One is confused about what the groups want to achieve by singling out defence intelligence officials for their relentless venomous attacks. If their sponsors are interested in the positions and for awards of contracts, they better get educated on the processes of attaining that.

With the current waves of victories across battlegrounds, the intelligence and security services do not deserve distraction by hired jobless hirelings and traducers.

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