Security Experts Call For Stronger Intelligence Surveillance Over Alleged Terror Financing In Lagos

Security experts are calling for intensified intelligence gathering and hostile surveillance following reports of people linked to terrorist financing in Lagos State.
They said the intelligence should be acted upon by the authorities urgently to prevent any security threat, comparing it with the long planning for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States.

The calls came after reports identified a Nigerian, Muhammad Mukhtar Adamu, as a purported financier of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The report alleged that his money exchange businesses were used to channel funds for terrorist activities.
Security consultant Austen Panor told The Guardian, “The intelligence should not be ignored, because Nigeria is still a high-risk country in terms of security.”

“I think we’ve moved beyond the debate about the implications of the report. The truth is that Nigeria is a high-risk country according to the United States and Canada. “I don’t know the parameters used in the assessment of Lagos as the safest state in Nigeria because the available security indicators do not support that conclusion,” he said.
“While the threats of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping may be relatively lower in Lagos than some northern states, it does not automatically make the state a low-risk environment,” Panor said.

“The risk of banditry, kidnapping and terrorist attacks may be comparatively lower in Lagos, but that does not make the state low risk. “There are states, particularly in the south, that are arguably safer,” he added.
Panor said that those who finance terrorism can live anywhere in the world and that proactive intelligence operations are needed, not reactive security measures.

“The first priority is to strengthen intelligence gathering and hostile surveillance. Security agencies must monitor properly any person under investigation while lawful investigations are ongoing. “Good intelligence is the key to preventing future attacks,” he said.
Commenting, Mathew Ibadin, Chief Executive Officer, Badison Security urged the Lagos State Government to beef up grassroots intelligence through the empowerment of Community Development Associations (CDAs) and better resident documentation.

“The report says that Lagos needs to improve its security architecture considerably. Each Community Development Association should know enough about its inhabitants. He said, “Proper documentation of residents is vital to improving community-based intelligence.”
Ibadin also called for increased investment in policing infrastructure including patrol vehicles, gunboats and specialised intelligence units, while reaffirming his support for state and local government policing structures.
He commended the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for efforts so far but urged the security agencies to step up surveillance of vulnerable locations.
The Commissioner of Police is doing a commendable job but the security challenges keep evolving. “Crime is essentially local,” he said, “so government should spend more on intelligence capabilities, patrol assets and community policing structures.”

The security expert also called for the setting up of special courts or tribunals to fast track the prosecution of terrorism suspects and their alleged sponsors.
“Cases involving financing of terrorism must be concluded within a reasonable time frame. “Delayed prosecutions undermine deterrence and public confidence in the justice system,” he said.

He also appealed to political leaders to de-politicize security issues and show the political will to effectively combat terrorism and related crimes.
Asked how residents should respond to the report, Ibadin called for more cooperation between residents and security agencies but acknowledged that public confidence in law enforcement remained a challenge.

“There is nothing wrong with sharing intelligence with international partners. “Intelligence is only useful if communities trust security agencies enough to provide credible information,” he said.
When contacted for a reaction, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police said he had not received the report.

“I don’t know about the report. “I haven’t been briefed and I don’t have the report with me at the moment, said the police commissioner.