The Nigerian military has said that the claimed link between the Boko Haram terrorists and other global terror groups such as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is an open secret.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Rear Admiral Gabriel Okoi, stated this Monday in Abuja, while fielding questions from journalists at the opening ceremony of the Deputy Defence Advisers/Attaches/Librarians Training Conference.
This is coming as the intelligence officers have been charged to double up their efforts in the area of 'actionable intelligence' required for effective Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency (CT COIN) operations.
Okoi, when asked if their is substantive intelligence to validate the allegiance of Boko Haram to the notorious terror group like ISIS, he said; "its an open secret".
He also charged the Defence Attaches to ensure that the activities of Boko Haram and their linkage with global terror and terror groups are well monitored, saying "failure to do that is at their own risk".The Military Intelligence Chief said that the theme for the conference: "Refocusing Activities of Nigeria's Defence Missions to Meet Contemporary Security Challenges", was carefully selected to guide their deliberations to the current efforts at addressing the security challenges bedeviling the country and create an atmosphere for sustainable national security and development.
Okoi also declared that with the recent victories against Boko Haram and the successful conduct of the general election, the general internal security problem, especially in the North East has been drastically reduced.
Let me remind you all, he said, that we are at a very unique point in our national political life when for the first time in our democratic history an opposition is taking over the reins of government.
He noted: "It is unique and interesting as the international community will no doubt be looking forward to the roles Nigeria will play in the international arena with you as key players.
"This is coming at a time also when the security challenges which necessitated the increased the involvement of the Nigerian Armed Forces in internal security operations has abated".
Speaking further, Okoi expressed belief that in no distant time the security problems would have been delt with adequately to bring peace to Nigerians and the West African sub-region as a whole.
"Let me at this juncture remind you all that to achieve acceptable peace in the Continent you must double your efforts at providing actionable intelligence that will help in decision making", he urged.
According to the CDI, the growing sophistication of the society coupled with increasing expectations from home and abroad requires a continuous re-appraisal of the military's operational tactics and methods of intelligence gathering in order to rise the demands of the 21st Century security environment.
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