The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, on Monday identified synergy among security agencies as a critical factor in defeating security threats in the country.

Mr. Irabor spoke at Jaji, Kaduna State, when he declared open a three-week “Exercise Haske Biyu” (Operation Flash II) for Senior Course 43 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC).

The theme of the exercise was “A Joint and Multi-Agency Training on Internal Security and Low-Intensity Conflict.”

The CDS was represented by the Director, Peace Keeping Operation, Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Henry Ayamasowei.

Mr. Irabor explained that the exercise could not have come at a more auspicious period than now when the country was faced with a myriad of security challenges.

“Thus, the importance of collaboration between the military and other law enforcement agencies in defeating these threats cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.

He said its objective was to broaden individual and collective knowledge and understanding of military operations other than war, with emphasis on internal security and counter-insurgency operations.

In view of the dynamics of the global security environment and current national security realities, Irabor said that intelligence and security agencies and other stakeholders had found themselves deployed regularly on internal security operations.

According to the CDS, such deployments require them to carry out an array of operations that involve kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to counter threats posed by predominantly irregular groups.

He added that the exercise was a platform for the cross-fertilisation of ideas.

He said it would allow stakeholders in national security architecture to synergise for the development of sustainable conflict resolution and conflict management mechanisms.

Earlier, the Commandant of the College, AVM Ebenezer Alade, explained that the 2021 edition would focus on the North-West where banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping had become commonplace.