As DIA Bags SAEMA’s ‘Intelligence and Safety Agency Award’

As DIA Bags SAEMA’s ‘Intelligence and Safety Agency Award’

By Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi

According to a popular saying, the reward of hard work is always success. And for the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in particular, it’s time to celebrate another success and honour, mid-wifed by the efforts of its hard work.

Indeed, history was made last month when the DIA was announced as one of the winners of the Security and Emergency Management Award (SAEMA), under the ‘Intelligence and Safety’ category for the year 2022.

The plaque was collected on behalf of the Chief of Defense Intelligence, CDI, Major General Samuel Adebayo by a senior official, Mrs CA Usman, the Director, Psychological Operations of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

The colorful event was held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel on Wednesday, November 23, 2022 in Abuja.

The SAEMA, an annual ritual, was organized by the Emergency Digest, a publication of the award-winning Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), in collaboration with the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC).

Birthed in 2019, the 4th SAEMA event critically scrutinized the activities of DIA and other intelligence communities in the country for their strategic roles and unceasing efforts in taming the security challenges that the country has been facing over the years.

It is not surprising that the constituted panel of juries selected DIA for this award from the list of other agencies that were nominated. This is clearly to commend the agency for providing actionable intelligences to military and sister security agencies which has eventually led to uncovering of many terrorists syndicates and successful arrest of the gang members. This has gone a long way in averting emerging threats and enhancement of the national security at large.

While justifying the DIA for clinching the award, the organizers cited DIA as “Being the highest military intelligence body, its behind the scene efforts have resulted in elimination of many terrorists commanders in Northeast and bandits’kingpins in Northwest alongside their followers. Their secret operations have averted many national security breaches across the country.

“In early August, it can be recalled how intelligence operatives of DIA tracked and arrested informants who conspired in masterminding the Kuje Prison Attack. In addition, many Owo Church attackers were also traced and nabbed by intelligence operatives.”

Nonetheless, this award is a clear indication that DIA has been performing excellently in discharging its mandates of tackling insecurity, thereby maintaining public order.

It is without doubt that the recent successes by the Armed Forces of Nigeria against non-state actors across the length of the country are largely attributed to the behind-the-curtain operations of the DIA, in collaboration with other sister security agencies.

As a result, a lot of high profile terrorists in the North East and bandits’ war lords alongside their followers in the Northwestern region have been eliminated, and their hideouts are being equally destroyed.

Many other successful military offensives initiated through actionable intelligence have the arrest and eliminations of the enemies of the alstate across the Federation, including rescues of hostages.

Presently, there is nationwide reasonable improvement in the level of security as a result of sustainable onslaught against the criminals by the security forces from all angles.

This has equally further justified the praises heaped on CDI Adebayo by the National Security Adviser, NSA Babagana Monguno, a retired Major General on intelligence gathering, saying that the new strategies adopted by the agency are yielding positive results in the fight against insecurities.

Monguno extolled DIA, emphasizing that the important role played by the agency in Counter-Insurgency, counter-terrorism, and fight against other hosts of criminalities can never be over-emphasized as a result of its invisible activities.

Nevertheless, the agency still needs to do more so as to respond to the novel techniques being employed by non-state actors in unleashing violence across communities.

In addition, maintaining security is not the function of security forces alone because of its multidimensional pattern as it requires a ‘whole of societal approach’. Thus, residents should be willing to supply vital information to security institutions in order to change the narrative towards a better course.

MUKHTAR is a Staff Writer with the Emergency Digest.