Why can't we tackle the boko haram operatives

More facts have emerged on why
it is becoming increasingly
difficult for security operatives to
be pro-active in intelligence
gathering that would have given
them the upper hand over the
Boko Haram sect.
Sources close to the service told
one of our correspondents that
many officers of the Department
of State Security were not happy
with its leadership on issues
bearing on welfare.
Part of their grievances includes
non-payment of leave allowance,
which they said the authorities
claimed had been incorporated
into the salaries of the personnel.
The officers also claimed that the
leadership of the service had
reneged on its promise to pay
them what is called “incentive
allowance.” This allowance, it
was gathered, is usually half of a
salary and is paid once in a year.
The promise to pay it was
reportedly made last December.
Apart from this, it was also
alleged that their plain clothes
allowance, which was meant to
be paid quarterly, was last paid
in October 2010. Since then,
nothing has been paid to the
operatives. Ordinarily, junior
officers are to be paid N15,000
while senior officers are to earn
N20,000 quarterly.
It was also alleged that the
furniture allowances have not
been paid to the officers. The
operatives are also grumbling
about the irregularities in their
promotion. For example, those
that sat for promotion
examination and passed since
January and February are yet to
be promoted.
One of them said, “It is because
of issues like this that we are no
longer pro-active. We are now
reactive in our operations.
“In the days of the defunct
National Security organisation,
how many Nigerians know those
working in the organisation?
Now, everyone knows who
works with SSS. We now carry
guns like the regular police. We
have left our primary duty of
gathering information. If you go
to our organisation
headquarters, you will see patrol
vans parked outside just like the
ones being used by the police.
“You will see our men carrying
arms outside as if we are in war
zone. That is not how to go
about information gathering. By
now, with the activities of the
Boko Haram sect, we ought to
have our men who will be in all
the northern states of the
country masquerading as cattle
men.”
The spokesperson of the SSS,
Marilyn Ogar, did not respond to
calls made to her phone to verify
these claims.
Another factor said to be
militating against intelligence
gathering is the infiltration of
security organisations by
suspected Boko Haram
sympathisers. This, it was
gathered, had made it more
difficult for the security agencies
to act decisively on the sect as
operational methods were said
to be leaked to them.
But the police in their reaction
said they had their method of
screening applicants into the
force that ensured that militants
did not infiltrate the
organisation.
The Deputy Force Public Relations
Officer, Mr. Yemi Ajayi, cited the
ongoing recruitment into the
Cadet Assistant Superintendent
and Cadet Inspector of Police,
saying it involved the vetting of
applicants by the Divisional Police
Officer in their local government
areas as well as the traditional
ruler and LG chairman.
According to him, the rigorous
screening and vetting is to
ensure that people with
questionable background do not
find their way into the police.
“The police are a unifying
organisation for the country
because you find people from
different ethnic groups and
cultural backgrounds there.
There is no way militants and
people with questionable
character can find their way into
the force with the rigorous
screening we have adopted; only
people with integrity are in the
police,” Ajayi said.
Spokesman for the 81 Division of
the Nigerian Army, Lt.Col. Kayode
Ogunsanya, also said it was not
possible for members of the
Boko Haram to infiltrate the
army.
He said, “I can’t speak for the
whole army. I will give you the
number of the director that will
talk to you on that. But the Boko
Haram penetrating the army
won’t be possible.”