INTELLIGENCE GATHERING AMONG RURAL COMMUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INSECURITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

AN APPRAISAL

Abstract

Serious threats of insecurity have bedevilled Nigeria in the recent past. Nigeria a hitherto peaceful nation is today saddled with insecurity challenges ranging from, terrorist attacks, kidnapping, herdsmen attacks, indigene-settler crisis to mention just a few. This research paper has specific interest of North Central Nigeria as its area of study. Using primary data the paper tries to find out the level of prevalence of insecurity in North Central Nigeria, factors responsible for poor intelligence gathering in North Central Nigeria and ways of improving intelligence gathering in North Central Nigeria. At the end of the study, the paper amongst other things recommendsurgent need for provision of more security personnel and rural infrastructure in Northern Nigeria, increased collaboration of security agents with traditional, religious institutions and the general public on issues of intelligence informationin rural communities, proper orientation and education of all those involved in intelligence gathering, as well as training and retraining of security personnel on modern technological methods of intelligence gathering.