By Evelyn Usman; Peter Duru; Musa Ubandawaki & Golok Nanmwa
As Northern leaders and other stakeholders express pain and fear over the unending reign of terror unleashed by terrorists, investigations have revealed the challenges encountered by the military which make rescue operations difficult in the northern part of the country despite increased deployment of security personnel to troubled areas.
According to security experts, retired military commanders and intelligence officers who spoke with Saturday Vanguard, the military fighting terrorists in the north are confronted with vast ungoverned spaces, difficult terrain, inadequate intelligence from local communities and the lack of cooperation with the security agencies as some locals even work for the terrorists as informants and food vendors.
The stakeholders unanimously agreed that while security forces have recorded notable successes against criminal groups in some parts of the country, the fight against kidnapping requires a comprehensive strategy that combines military action with improved intelligence gathering, technological surveillance, economic interventions and stronger community engagement.
They also advocated increased deployment of modern surveillance equipment, including drones and electronic monitoring systems, alongside the expansion of road networks and telecommunications infrastructure in remote communities frequently targeted by kidnappers.
