Not many people knew that the five and a half years of the administration of late general Sani Abacha GCON witnessed uninterrupted security made possible by his gallant and combatant forces drawn from both the armed forces and the police. Abacha unlike IBB did not rely so much on the state security services officers and personnel but strictly worked with the various intelligence network of the military and police.
I could vividly recall my encounter with one of the former Director of Naval Intelligence who hailed from the Niger delta at the then fort IBB now renamed Niger barracks when I was ushered in by my blossom friend a naval intelligence officer Hassan Maokata from Bauchi state.
The naval intelligence chief made me to know that beyond the GMC patrol vehicles we see on the street of Abuja, there were other secret intelligence reports carried and conveyed to the commander in chief CinC periodically and every step of it ascertained and scrutinised for authenticity. It could be from the Directorate of military intelligence, Directorate Of Naval Intelligence, Directorate Of Air Intelligence, Criminal Investigation Department of the Police or the State Security Services.
All agencies were expected to independently go on intelligence gathering and report accordingly. There was cooperation and synergy. There weren’t clash amongst any of the agencies. The strike force who operated under major Hamza AlMustspha had representation from all the intelligence components of all the military arm, police and SSS and they were efficient and competent. They sometimes travel to other states in Nigeria to gather intelligence including the sea ports, airports and land borders. When Foday Sankoh the R.U.F Rebel leader was tormenting Sierra Leone it was the combination of Abacha’s bodyguards and strike force via the ECOMOG command in Freetown that flew him to Abuja and he was kept in Sheraton hotel and towers under the watch of eagle eyed strike force. The division of labour as well as sharing of intelligence gathering reports amongst the various security agencies helped in no small way to make security stable in Nigeria within the period Abacha ruled till death.
Coming to anti corruption fight, late Abacha setup a failed bank tribunal with office in Maitama to try and prosecute bank top executives responsible for their liquidation. We cannot easily forget Femi Adekanye who was arrested and prosecuted alongside his accomplices.
There also existed an office of drugs and financial crimes with a special Adviser stationed at the federal secretariat. The decree was borrowed to establish Obasanjo’s economic and financial crimes commission EFCC. In so many ways, General Sani Abacha achieved tremendously. Every state military administrator also had his own security setup.
For instance, the military administration of them Col. Buba Marwa had operation sweep which later metamorphosed into rapid response squad under civilian administration of Bola Tinubu in 1999. Today, insecurity has become order of the day inspire of huge amounts axed for it tackling. Political will is lacking to curb it.
