From: Bianca Iboma
Nigeria has witnessed many security challenges in the last few years. The crisis include communal, religious, political and socio-economic conflicts, with varying degree of casualties. Some see this phenomenon as an attempt by foreign powers to divide Nigeria, while others believe sectarian violence is at the centre of the crises. TANWA ASHIRU, a United States Air Force veteran and founder of Bulwark Intelligence threw some light on security operations and activities.
With over 13 years’ experience in Intelligence Analysis, working in the Department of Defence (DoD), and the U.S National Security Agency (NSA), Tanwa holds a post-graduate degree in Intelligence Studies from the School of Security and Global Studies at American Military University (AMU). She served 180 days in Afghanistan and has been involved in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in Southwest Asia, Middle East and Africa.
In this interview with Daily Sun she bares her mind on intelligence information, security, raping of little girls by grown men among other issues.
Excerpt:
What informed your decision to set up a security company a business that is usually dominated by male?
I actually join the military , the U.S Air Force at 17. I had to seek permission from my parents because I was very young and anyone who knows my parents can attest to this fact that my parents are very daring especially my mum. I was very young and still under their control. My dad gave his consent and my mum supported it.It was my first job and I grew up in the military. Already, I had a vast military background and later I opted out of the military. I ventured into the advertising industry because my mum had an advertising background so I decided to follow her foot step after a while I said to myself I am done with security let me go for advertising because my mum had an advertising background. Amazingly, after a couple of months or thereabout I said to myself Tanwa this is not a venture for you. I left the advertising agency. My focus and background was in intelligence and my thinking had been cultivated and regimented with order. I wanted an intelligent related job. But it was not coming when I got back to Nigeria. Then my husband suggested to me since, you are a writer that does analysis why don’t you start, become an open source analysis? I took to his suggestion and I started writing. I would listen to news after which I wrote out my own analysis from it. Intelligence has to do with first hand information,that one can analyse and give it to people who need them or make their decision. So, that is how Bulwark began.
We give informations to both international and local people who intend to do business with a particular environment and needs information about the prospect for them to carry out their activities. We carry out a survey after scouting the area and provides all the necessary security information that those organisation needs, ranging from the threat, to prospect of such an environment.
What are the possible solutions considering the challenges poise in security business?
Security failure has eaten deep into the fabrics of the society making Nigerians loose focus and confidence in our security operatives.
This is how an intelligent agent is supposed to operate, it should be before the incident occur. If you think of a door the security agent is supposed to be working inside the door. If something comes out of the door it means that the ball has been drop somewhere. So why you are operating inside the door, you make sure you put out the fire before it starts. The primary way Nigerians security operate is combating crime. Although there are some agent who make use of preventive measures.in majority of the operations, we combat crime, they have always done so after the incident occurred. If we can gather intelligence before the incidence occurs, it would be more of a preventive measure. As an intelligence organisation, when you combat crime, it should be before the incident, preventive measures should be in place to stop the incident from taken place. It has been a challenging environment for some security firms to move to the new generation of networked systems. A high level of integration is needed for a more capable and accountable system.
As a female US Air-force intelligence personnel what was your core role,experience and how were you able to cope on the environment?
The job was an extension of my interest in people,geo-political zones and the international relations. You are always curious about something as an intelligent officer. In the Military, you get to study continuously and travel around often. Military training instilled in me a deeper confidence in my own abilities. It provided me with the training of how to balance competing priorities and to deal with demanding situations calmly and rationally.
What role do you think the intelligence service should play in a nation?
It is a fact that every nation is supposed to retain internal security intelligence agencies. Majorly, these domestic service would defend the country against threats to national security. They defend the nation from foreign agents and domestic subversive elements. A security intelligence service should be exclusive internal, an independent agency that has to do with strict control position within the control of the government in power.If there is no peace it would be difficult to protect lives of operators and business property.
Cracking down on Boko Haram’s activities remains a challenge. What is your take on this?
There is something we called the culture of an organization, specific way of operation. When you get to federal ministry and you wants someone to get a document signed and you are told it has to go through five people.One should be able to find out why it has to go through five people before it is signed.It is the culture of the organisation. Security is a cross-cutting and multi-dimensional concept. It is a first order value that is worth preserving. It has to do with the safety and survival of the state and citizens from harm and destruction or maybe dangerous threat.
What do you think has been the challenge of the Nigeria Military in the fight against Boko-Haram terrorism?
The challenge has been information sharing among security agencies. In the U.S military agencies are grouped on their operations. They are structured in such a way that each agency have a different piece of puzzle to tackle on a particular occurrence. So,whenever an information is not spread properly from one agency to another there would be a loophole. That is exactly what should be done,Information must be spread. Nigerian’s security agencies are not sharing enough information among themselves, most times they hide information from one another.
Also, security agent and personnel must be taken care of if we want them to take care of the citizenry.People shake hands of military personnel overseas, just to encouraged them. The citizens value them because of the service they are rendering.
It is not the case here for Nigerian military personnel, maybe due to the history of brutality by military personnel. The military needs to do more in respecting the rights of civilians, and the public should show appreciation to military personnel for the sacrifices they make in defending the nation.
Recently, there had been several rape incident involving little girls of age 6-10. it is a security challenge, considering the effects on its victims;How do we curb this trend?
It is worrisome that people who are close to the minors are the ones who sexually abused them. Relatives, neighbours, boyfriends, church mates are the main perpetrators of this rape incidents. These kids are raped by people they know. They are not raped by strangers in bushes but in their homes. This kids are threatened with assault or murder if they report the assault. I want to appeal to mothers, especially working mothers to always communicate with their kids. They should established a rap-pour with this kids and teach them their vital part people must not touch. You tell them if anyone touches you here tell mummy. I am a working mother, I have to entrust my kids in the hands of my staff and relative. My family member, I don’t just leave them at home, I communicate with them often even while I am at work. I make sure I talk to my kids and find out what their needs are at a particular time because I have build a bond between us.
If you need to leave your children not just females both the males in the hands of your staff, make sure you equipped them and ensure that a family member is with them.
This will aid the situation and prevent some terrible incident.
Most working mothers just leave their kids without any form of monitoring. They believe they had paid the staff and because their service must be rendered they forgot entirely that their children are involved. Paying domestic staff has not substituted your role as a mother. I am appealing to mothers, value your kids it is important. We all know that times had been very challenging but room should be created for your children no matter how tight your schedule could be. Apart from speaking the word of God and keeping them we should add communication, monitoring and equipping them.
Also Punitive measures be taken against those who sexually abuse children. Recently concentration has been on the female child rape victims but I tell you the male kids are now the target. Let us carry the children along.We have to begin to gather intelligence on this before it becomes rampant. Anyone found guilty of sexually abusing children should be punish.
Most Nigerian youths wants to travel abroad because they seems to have lost hope in our nation. What would you suggestion to the youth?
Nigerians are no longer compassionate, they are just angry. They don’t help people especially widows, orphans,the less privilege. Only on festive period. People are angry at each other. I remember how it was when we were growing up. Those morals are fading away. The youths feel it is okay to steal.