Governor Alex Otti Urges Nigeria Army To Prioritize Intelligence For National Security
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has called on the Nigerian Armed Forces to pay critical attention to intelligence gathering as a foundational tool for tackling insecurity across the nation.
Governor Otti made this charge on Friday, May 9, 2025, during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Course 47 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. The delegation was led by the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies of the College, Rear Admiral Aniefok Uko. The visit was part of the College’s senior course curriculum involving an environmental study tour.
In his address, Governor Otti emphasized that intelligence plays a crucial role in preempting and preventing security threats before they escalate. He maintained that effective deployment of intelligence resources remains key in sustaining internal peace and combating criminality.
“A lot of times, if you pay attention to intelligence, you will be able to nip in the bud majority of the cases before they happen. It’s good that, that is what this course is about too,” the Governor stated.
He praised the Nigerian military for their professionalism and discipline, highlighting the collaborative relationship between the military and his administration in ensuring the relative peace currently enjoyed in Abia State.
“Security starts from intelligence. Thorough and well-put-together intelligence would always predict and sometimes put the forces in a state of readiness,” he added.
Governor Otti also commended the presence of foreign students in the training program, describing it as a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s military institutions. He assured the delegation of his government’s continued partnership with security agencies to maintain law and order in the state.
On his part, Rear Admiral Uko said the visit to Abia State was part of a nationwide study tour themed “Harnessing Grassroots Intelligence for Enhanced Internal Security.” He explained that the exercise was designed to expose the officers to real-world experiences that complement their theoretical training at the College.
“The students are here to assess Abia’s security infrastructure and explore how grassroots intelligence can support both government and security agencies. If there are practices here that we can adopt, we will adopt them as best practices and replicate them wherever the students are posted,” Rear Admiral Uko said.
He extended appreciation to the Governor and the people of Abia for their warm reception and the logistical arrangements put in place to make the visit seamless.
The delegation’s visit is seen as a testament to Abia State’s growing reputation for security innovation and effective civil-military collaboration.
