02 March, 2011

Nigeria Re-builds Security Capacity

Sunday, February 27, 2011 Nigeria Re-builds Security Capacity
From Oghogho Obayuwana, Abuja

WITH the aid of some Israeli experts, Nigeria has quietly been re-building its security capacity in a bid to ensure that the country is not hit any harder by terror blows, The Guardian, has learnt.


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The renewed efforts, aimed at winning the war against terrorism on Nigerian shores, would be given a visible cloak before the April general elections.

High-level sources at the Ministry of Foreign affairs, Presidency and Israeli embassy confirmed the silent collaborative drive with the Israeli concerns.

They, however, declined details on cost of training, equipment and installation.  

They were also silent on whether, or not, government has reviewed the $260 million contract signed in 2006 with an Israeli security company, Aeronautics Ltd, for the Planes-without-pilot project.  Nigeria hopes, through this, to also develop a national coastal defence alignment based mainly on unmanned platforms.

A high-level source said that the implementation of the planes-without-pilots project for aerial surveillance "has begun, much of the equipment is already in Nigeria.  Our personnel have been steadily sent to Israel, also from the State Security Service (SSS) as well as the police. They are guests of the Israeli homeland security.
Discussions are on with the National security adviser for the building of an enduring security programme to work on anti-terrorism squad, bombs and disarmament. Training on how to find explosives, intelligence is the most crucial. It constitutes 80 per cent of the war on terrorism.

 
"If you developed intelligence, you can intercept phone calls, track emails, put people on ground or have high spies. We have gone to the global security problem solvers. You know that Israel has no terrorism issues since 2002 after the Ariel Sharon saga despite the fact that the country's enemies are in some countries that are just five minutes away."

By the end of last week, the Federal Government had become satisfied with the preliminary effects of the security ring already thrown around Abuja, which, sources said, was largely responsible for the overall peaceful and tension-free national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held at the Eagle square last December. 
http://odili.net/news/source/2011/feb/27/10.html