FG ‘arms for gold’ planes claim bares intelligence failure, says group

Federal government’s defence of a no-fly zone over Zamfara to curb unidentified planes flying in arms in exchange for gold has come under criticism.

An investigation by Daily Trust, whose correspondents visited the sites of gold mining and spoke with miners, security analysts and other sources, has put a doubt on the claim.

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On Saturday, the Patriots for the Advancement Of Peace and Social Development said the federal government claim showed the nation’s intelligence was porous and inactive.

“[Nigerian Airspace Management Agency] is the agency of the federal government that has the responsibility to monitor and give clearance to every aircraft that comes in or goes out of this country,” said the group’s executive director Sani Shinkafi.

“So, for anybody to say that planes come into Zamfara State to drop arms and carry out gold from the State without the tacit cooperation of the NAMA and the office of the National Security Adviser is being economical with the truth.

“If any unauthorized aircraft was getting access into an area, it is the failure of intelligence not failure of the aviation. When there is a problem, it is the job of the national intelligence to inform the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency or the Nigerian Airforce.

“From what is happening it shows glaringly that there is lack of inter-agency collaboration, cohesion and synergy among the nation’s security apparatuses. Because if there is credible intelligence it ought to have been shared among the security agencies and not to have gone ahead to issue a no-fly zone without credible intelligence reports,” he added.