Rear Admiral Dolapo Kolawole (retd), former Director of Operations at the Naval Headquarters, has said Nigeria’s persistent insecurity and recent mass killings are driven primarily by intelligence failures, not a lack of military capacity, insisting that improved human intelligence and infiltration of terrorist networks are critical to ending the violence.
Kolawole in an interview with ARISE News on Wednesday while reacting to the confirmed deployment of a small team of United States troops to Nigeria and the resurgence of deadly attacks across parts of the country, including the killing of security personnel and civilians in Benue State and mass casualties reported in Kwara State.
He began by commending Nigeria’s armed forces, particularly the Navy, following its ranking as the strongest in Africa.
“First of all, let me congratulate the federal government, the Nigerian people and the armed forces of Nigeria on the current global power rating of the Nigerian Navy as the most powerful in Africa,” Kolawole said.
He attributed the ranking to the scale of Nigeria’s naval assets.
“This is a function of the number of platforms the Nigerian Navy has today, which surpasses that of every other navy in Africa at 152 platforms today. It surpasses even the Arab navies and the South African Navy in quantity,” he said.
According to him, the size and composition of the fleet align with Nigeria’s security needs and regional responsibilities.
“Our current fleet is very, very much suited for Nigeria’s threat perception and our global ambitions, our regional ambitions, so to say, and responsibilities,” Kolawole stated.
Addressing the resurgence of terrorist attacks and mass killings, he said the Nigerian Navy possesses specialised capabilities that can be deployed in asymmetric warfare.
“To specifically answer your question, yes, the Nigerian Navy has a component that can be used, deployed and can function for asymmetric warfare. This is the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, the special forces arm of the Nigerian Navy,” he said.
Kolawole, who once commanded the unit, explained that it was designed for complex counterterrorism operations.
“It is modelled after the United States Navy SEALs. Their personnel and sailors are trained for asymmetric warfare ashore and afloat, land and sea. They can function in both environments,” he said.
He added that the unit could be used for targeted operations against terrorist groups.
“This component of the Nigerian Navy fleet, the SBS Special Boat Service, its special warfare wing, can be deployed for operations like what has just happened, which are surgical strikes, decapitation of terrorist camps, targeting terrorists, prevention, protection, and so on,” he said.
However, Kolawole stressed that military hardware alone could not stop the killings, arguing that intelligence gaps remain the biggest challenge.
“Let me compartmentalise it. The fleet is afloat. Now we are talking about asymmetric warfare issues on land,” he said.
“When you talk about such issues on land, terrorism and militancy, the most vital component is intelligence. I have to be able to see a face to punch the face. When I don’t have the prerequisite intelligence to know who, where, and what their intentions are, then they are able to seize the initiative,” he explained.
Kolawole said terrorists exploit intelligence weaknesses to strike at will.
“They can operate where they want, how they want, when they want, without me knowing. So my first basic recommendation is that we develop and improve our intelligence capacity,” he said.
He called for deeper infiltration of terror groups through human intelligence.
“With groups like this, a basic way out is human intelligence, infiltration with moles, having the intelligence services — the DSS, Armed Forces Intelligence, the Defence Intelligence Agency — infiltrate these organisations to the extent that we know who they are, we know their plans, where they are operating from, their logistics base, and what they intend to do,” Kolawole said.
“If I am a step ahead of you in intelligence, I can prevent you. I can be where you want to operate and stop you. I can decapitate your centres of gravity, block your logistics, remove your leaders and prevent you from operating,” he added.
On maritime security, Kolawole rejected claims that piracy, oil theft and militancy negate the Navy’s high global ranking.
“The issues of piracy, militancy and oil theft have drastically reduced. They are still there, but there will always be space for improvement,” he said.
“Even with the most effective militaries or policing units, it is difficult to have a completely crime-free environment,” he added.
He said improved naval capacity had produced tangible results.
“If you observe the improved capability of the Nigerian Navy, you will see a drop in these crimes because of the extra platforms and capitalisation and capacity. It has manifested in improved maritime security,” Kolawole said.
Explaining Nigeria’s use of private maritime security firms, Kolawole described it as a homegrown, collaborative approach.
“Every country develops unique capabilities that suit its peculiar environment,” he said.
“What you have in Nigeria is a tripod — the government, the Nigerian Navy, and the local population, the communities. The oil resources come from those communities, and they are involved in safeguarding what is beneath their feet, in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy,” he explained.
According to him, the arrangement has reduced friction between security forces and host communities.
“It has eliminated constant conflict and clashes, to an extent, between the Nigerian Navy and those communities, especially militant groups, who are now involved in the security architecture,” Kolawole said.
He urged private security firms to work more closely with the Navy.
“These private maritime security companies need to embrace the Nigerian Navy and see it as a partner rather than a rival,” he said, adding that rivalry has created “constant tension” and that “there is a need for better collaborative effort.”
On the confirmed presence of US troops in Nigeria, Kolawole said the development pointed to deeper military cooperation but required clarity from Nigerian authorities.
“Basic strategic military logic dictates that if we are going to have collaborative efforts with the United States, there will be a joint operations centre or joint cell where Nigerian military personnel integrate with the US cell for intelligence sharing, coordination and conduct of operations,” he said.
He said Nigerians deserved transparency on the deployment.
“Now that we hear there are US military personnel on the ground, what should happen next is that the Minister of Defence and AFRICOM should give more light on the composition, strength, purpose and mission of that group,” Kolawole stated.
“Until they make elaborate statements on the composition, strength, purpose and mission of this small group, we will wait for them to speak,” he added.
Addressing concerns that the disclosure came first from the United States rather than Nigerian authorities, Kolawole said official clarification was imminent.
“I believe that the Nigerian authorities will speak. The Minister of Defence will soon throw more light,” he said.
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, former Director of Operations, Naval Headquarters, says Nigeria’s insecurity persists due to intelligence gaps, not lack of firepower.</p>
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