Insecurity: FG to collapse security operations into ‘Operation Octopus’

As a major measure to de-escalate violent crimes, banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in the country, the presidency has ordered the national security forces to collapse all their individual operational activities into one broad operation.

Code-named “Operation Octopus”, the new initiative, it was gathered, will nail inter-agency rivalry which is being blamed for the lack of effective response of the security forces to the activities of terrorists and bandits across the country.

Saturday Tribune gathered that the presidency gave the directive following what was seen to be the proliferation of the operations by the different services as it is believed that there is no synergy in confronting the internal security challenges.

For instance, at the wake of the worsening security situation in the North West, the Army launched Operation Harbin Kunama, the Nigeria Air Force launched Operation Diran Mikiye and Operation Sharan Daji while the Police launched its own code-named Operation Puff Adder.

However, the implications of working at cross purposes by the various security agencies caused the presidency to direct that all the operations be collapsed into the coming Operation Octopus.

Informed security sources however admitted to Saturday Tribune that as a result of interagency rivalry, there would be no end in sight for the security challenges facing the country, saying this was a major source of concern for the various stakeholders.

According to the source, each service wants to carry out its own operation, hence there is no coordination and this is hampering the success that ought to have been achieved.

• Experts divided over FG’s move to remove fuel subsidy

According to the source, “lack of intelligence-sharing among the services is not helping matters, as they all seem to be working on their own.”

Saturday Tribune gathered that what broke the camel’s back was the launching of the Operation Puff Adder by the police without involving the Army, rather the police carried along the Nigerian Air Force in the operation launched at the Abuja- Kaduna highway.

The Army, sources claimed, felt slighted and complained to the presidency and all the service chiefs were summoned to a meeting.

The sources added that it was at the meeting that they all agreed to the collapsing of all the operations and merge into one single operation to be code named Octopus.

Credible security sources also informed Saturday Tribune that the police felt that the Army was dominating the operation of internal security to their detriment, instead of its primary duty of protecting the country’s territorial integrity against any external aggression.”

The sources said even though they believed that there was constitutional provision for military assistance to civil authority, stakeholders said it was worrisome that “the Army has taken over all the security operations in the country.”

Operation Octopus which will soon be launched, the security source said, “will have more of land and air components so as to be able to achieve the purpose it is being set up for and put an end to kidnapping, killing and banditry in the country.”