Despite spending a fortune to acquire 12 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets, Babagana Monguno, National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari, says intelligence remains the most effective instrument in fighting insurgency and banditry.

“Intelligence is the driver of operation. No matter how much you spend on defence forces- land, air, maritime or police, if you lack the relevant intelligence, you will just be like three blind men operating in a dark environment,” Mr Monguno said.

The security adviser made this assertion on Friday in Abuja while speaking at the public presentation of a research report titled ‘Terrorism and Banditry: The Nexus’; conducted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF).

The NSA, who was one of the panellists, said of the various forms of intelligence, human intelligence derived from the local community remained the most important.

“From the moment you get intelligence if the operational elements do not respond with the speed required that intelligence becomes stale and it compounds the problems that will come later,” Mr Monguno said.

“For as long as an agent of the government decides to franchise or eliminate the agent of the community, then you are depriving yourself of the most important oxygen, which is intelligence from the local community,” he said.

The Buhari-led regime had ordered 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets from the United States to execute the ongoing war against Boko Haram. Six of the planes were delivered in July.

In a matter of days, the regime is expected to take delivery of the remaining six jets struck in a deal of $600 million approved by former President Donald Trump.