Intelligence chief: Military has given terrorists, bandits bloody noses.
Various offensive operations conducted by the Nigerian armed forces have reportedly given terrorists, bandits, and other agents of destabilisation a bloody nose, as reported by Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI).
On Monday in Abuja, Undiandeye made the remarks at the Accreditation of ten Allied Defence Attaches and Advisers stationed in Nigeria.
He assured the public that the Federal Government, through the military and other sister security services, was still committed to enhancing national security despite the persistence of threats in recent years.
Recent offensive operations conducted by the Nigerian military forces have “given a bloody nose” to terrorists, bandits, and other agents of destabilisation across the country.I think it’s safe to say that our efforts have paid off and that the security situation has greatly improved.
“As part of our non-kinetic effort, these undesirable elements are being annihilated on a regular basis, and normal safety is being restored to previously difficult areas.
Yet every day, tens of thousands of terrorists turn themselves in to our military. The end outcome of our efforts is a safer and more secure environment for our nation and its citizens.
A recent update on the Global Terrorism Index found that Nigeria had risen two places on the improved index due to a marked decline in terrorist attacks and fatalities.
In particular, he noted that a 23 percent decrease from 2022 to 2023 had been documented in the number of deaths (385).
Undiandeye congratulated the military for these breakthroughs, claiming they proved the military was ready to continue its offensive against Nigeria’s foes until the country was once again free, secure, prosperous, and united under democratic rule.
According to him, the recent successful general elections in the country were due in large part to the support of democratic processes by the military and other key security services.
He believes the praise our military has earned in this area is evidence of how seriously we take our responsibility to protect the lives and property of our citizens.
The international observers, including those from your countries, “were full of praise for the Nigerian military for its display of neutrality during the conduct of the elections,” he continued.
He noted that the already strong bilateral connection between Nigeria and the ally countries had been further enhanced by the accreditation of the new defence attachés.
He reassured them that the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) was prepared to provide every defence attaché and advisor on diplomatic missions with all the legal and authorised assistance they needed to carry out their duties in accordance with the highest standards of international diplomacy.
“At this juncture, I want to emphasise that the agency continues to serve as the conduit between you and our allied defence attaches and advisers and the institutions, organisations, and offices under the purview of Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence.
All official communications should go through the DIA’s Foreign Liaison Office so that they can be processed and dealt with properly.
Let me declare for the record that you are not authorised to have any kind of direct contact with any members of the Nigerian Ministry of Defence or any other government agencies in Nigeria.
Defence consultants and attachés came from 10 nations, including Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Morocco, the Niger Republic, South Africa, South Korea, Tanzania, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe, according to DIA Director of Foreign Liaison Brigadier General Ojogbane Adegbe.
Adegbe said that attaches and advisors could engage in “low level activities” before receiving the accreditation that would allow them to formally conduct their affairs in accordance with the agency’s guidelines and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He assured them that written copies of the rules and code of conduct would be provided to them so that they could carry out their duties effectively.
Col. Andrii Vasyliev, the Ukrainian Defence Attaché, addressed on behalf of his colleagues to express their enthusiasm for collaborating with DIA to further the already strong bilateral connection between Nigeria and Ukraine.
He expressed faith in the DIA’s ability to assist them in fulfilling their missions in the country and added that the accreditation gave them the official recognition to adequately conduct their roles as defence advisors and attachés.