Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has called for stronger intelligence sharing among Nigeria’s security agencies to prevent and disrupt terrorist and criminal activities.

Mr Buratai made the call while delivering a keynote lecture at the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) Conference and Awards 2026 on Monday in Abuja.

He spoke on the theme of the conference, “Beyond Kinetic Warfare: Harnessing Technology and Intelligence-Led Operations for Nigeria’s National Security”.

He noted that Nigeria’s security challenges required a shift from reactive responses to intelligence-led operations that identified threats, understood criminal networks and disrupted attacks before they occurred.

“If technology is the eyes and ears, intelligence is the brain,” he said.

He explained that effective intelligence-led operations involved identifying threats early, assessing their significance and setting priorities before deploying security resources.

Drawing on his experience as army chief, the former COAS said operations against insurgents between 2019 and 2020 included efforts to track and disrupt their logistics networks.

“A terrorist organisation can hide its fighters, but it cannot entirely hide its supply lines,” he said.

He stressed that targeting networks supplying weapons, food and fuel could weaken armed groups and disrupt their operations.

He also said that intelligence strategies must reflect the different security threats across the country.

According to him, tackling banditry and kidnapping in the North-West requires intelligence gathering rooted in local communities.

“Poor inter-agency collaboration, inadequate equipment, limited resources and strained relations between security agencies and communities remain obstacles to effective intelligence gathering and use.”

Mr Buratai, therefore, called for an intelligence fusion architecture under the Office of the National Security Adviser to integrate analytical capabilities across the military, police, intelligence services and financial intelligence agencies.

He emphasised that intelligence sharing should become an institutional obligation rather than be left to individual agencies’ discretion.

“Its sole function is not collecting more intelligence, but ensuring existing intelligence is shared and used effectively,” he said.

The former chief of army staff also urged the government to strengthen community intelligence networks involving traditional leaders, youth groups, market associations and community liaison officers.

He said public trust was critical to obtaining reliable information, adding that communities were more likely to cooperate when their security concerns were addressed and their livelihoods protected.

“When people trust the military, and their security needs are addressed, their livelihoods protected, they become the most sensitive and reliable part of a human sensor network,” he said.

He said intelligence, technology, kinetic operations and community engagement must therefore work together to deliver sustainable security outcomes.

 (NAN)