The Tinubu administration says improved coordination among Nigeria’s security agencies has addressed operational challenges that allegedly hampered military operations under the previous administration.
Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala, speaking on The Link Up Podcast, claimed disagreements between the Nigerian Army and the Air Force during the Buhari administration often left troops without needed air support during operations.
“I remember during Buhari there was this disagreement that was imported to be between the Chief of Air Staff and that of the Army, so that whenever an operation was undertaken, when they asked for air cover, there wouldn’t be support. In this administration, it is not so. There is coordination or cooperation”, he said.
Bwala dismissed claims that soldiers deliberately protect terrorists but acknowledged that isolated cases of infiltration within the security agencies cannot be ruled out, noting that security personnel have previously been arrested for collaborating with criminal elements.
He said such incidents are not unique to Nigeria, citing former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden as an example of how security systems can be compromised. He added that measures are being taken to curb such breaches but declined to reveal details.
The presidential aide also suggested Nigeria’s insecurity has an international dimension, pointing to past pro-Russian demonstrations in parts of northern Nigeria and referencing allegations made by U.S. Congressman Scott Perry that the CIA funded Boko Haram and the Islamic State. Bwala stressed he was neither confirming nor rejecting the claims but said they should not be ignored.
Bwala also defended the Tinubu administration’s performance, citing improvements in government revenue and foreign reserves. He added that President Bola Tinubu has “done more than enough to earn the trust of Nigerians”, while saying voters will ultimately decide whether he deserves a second term.
