DIA: Crime Rate in Nigeria Down By 65%

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), has said that has been an overall reduction in crime and criminality by at least 65 per cent in frequency since the inception of current administration.
Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj Gen Emmanuel Undiandeye, said this while welcoming participants to the Chief of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference 2024, with the theme, “Exploring the Role of Technology in Strengthening National and Regional Security.”
He noted that while the nature of threats facing Nigeria were still the same, their potency, prevalence, frequency and intensity have been significantly degraded by the unprecedented activities of gallant members of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
“This assertion is supported by cogent and verifiable indices across the whole theatres of operations. There has been an overall reduction in crime and criminality by at least 65 percent in frequency since the inception of current administration.
“No doubt, much still has to be done, as the current and emerging threats are complex and multifaceted. This is coupled with those emanating from the Sahel Region, as well as the resurgence of coups and climate change challenges across the West African subregion and Africa in general.
“The scenario is further exacerbated by the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war and the complex matrix of the Israeli/Hamas/Hezbollah and Iranian crises.
“However, in all, our mission is clear, and that is, to provide timely, relevant, and accurate intelligence to support Nigeria’s defence and security objectives.”
The conference, he said provided the defence advisers and attachés the opportunity to interact with resource persons on critical issues regarding national security and development.
He added that it was also an avenue to identify opportunities, challenges and develop modalities of engaging emerging intelligence trends that would shape policy direction in order to reposition the agency to respond to current and future threats.

Acknowledging the need for the integration of technology into intelligence processes, Gen Undiandeye said the agency recognises technology as an unprecedented enabler and a leading driver of global competitiveness, that has been harnessed by the armed forces and defence intelligence organisations of many nations towards achieving a comparative advantage over adversaries.

He noted that the advent of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, Big Data Analytics, and the Internet of Things, amongst others, has ushered in a wave of changes across the global intelligence landscape, forcing a re-think about the perception of safety and security at individual and national levels.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, tasked the agency to utilise technology ethically in gathering intelligence.

Declaring the conference open, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, applauded the agency’s commitment in integrating artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, and others into its operations.

Represented by Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, the special guest of honour averred that this simulation would help process data sets and identify patterns that might otherwise remain undetected, adding that this was the future of intelligence.