Mary Onyia
Security experts have called for improved aerial surveillance capabilities and the adoption of modern technologies to detect and neutralise UAVs as terrorist attacks resurge across the country, even as they warn of the growing sophistication of terrorist tactics, and the use of advanced weaponry and UAVs, is posing new challenges for the country’s security forces. they bemoaned the use of sophisticated weapons by the hoodlums which, according to them had added new dimensions to the threat posed by insurgents.
Reports reveal that in the last week alone, terrorists attacked 10 states, leaving at least 77 people dead and 43 others kidnapped.
Kabir Adamu, Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, expressed concerns over the limitations the security operatives face in confronting the terrorists while noting the danger in the resurfacing use of unmanned aerial vehicles by terrorists.
He explained that the development could indicate either external technical support or the development of local capacity by the groups, adding the increasing sophistication of terrorist attacks, especially in the combined use of drones, gun-mounted vehicles, and foot soldiers, presents huge challenges for the Nigerian military. edit for publication please
“The ability of the military to defend a target becomes more difficult with such complex attacks,” he warned while calling on the federal government to enact a robust national policy on UAVs. This policy would improve aerial surveillance capabilities and promote the adoption of modern technologies to detect and neutralize UAVs.
Adamu further stated that in modern-day warfare, technology exists to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles.
Another security consultant and fellow of the Institute of Security, Chigozie Ubani, blamed the increasing attacks of terrorists on a ‘systemic failure’ in the country’s security apparatus.
“Our security systems and institutions have not lived up to expectations. We are supposed to be ahead of terrorists, but instead, they are ahead of us,” he said.
He advised the federal government to devise technologies suited to local needs while warning against the use of foreign mercenaries in fighting terrorists, adding that such a move could be counterproductive as dependence on foreign military contractors always ends up serving external interests rather than Nigeria’s.
According to him, the federal government should reposition the country’s security operatives to be more proactive rather than reactive.
A former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, commended the government’s effort in tackling the menace but called for greater transparency and urgency in dismantling the financial channels sustaining terrorism.
The surge in terrorist attacks last week targeted several states, including Katsina, Borno, Imo, Anambra, Oyo, Jigawa, Kogi, Zamfara, and Benue. These attacks resulted in widespread devastation, with homes torched and many residents displaced.
As the country grapples with this growing threat, experts urge swift action to modernize Nigeria’s security framework, enhance technological capabilities, and adopt a more proactive approach to combat terrorism.
With Additional Reports From the Punch Newspaper