The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, on Saturday, said the service will soon commence the production of Unmanned Area Vehicles, AK-47s, and other weapons that would be used by the service.
Bichi said this is to reduce the heavy reliance on foreign countries for weapons and the huge resources for the procurement of such weapons.
Bichi spoke at the graduation of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 16 participants in Abuja on Saturday.
He noted that when the plans materialises, the service would deploy the weapon across the country.
He said, “We shall support the institute in its training programmes. I care for the welfare of our staff, both active and retired. We shall never go back on that. We’ll also continue to pay attention to our research and development.
“Sooner or later we shall start eating what we produce. And we produce what we eat. This is coded. It means we shall start deploying some of the assets we have or the platforms we produce by ourselves, including Unmanned Area Vehicles. We are producing our AK-47.
“When we reach the destination, we will save the country from the pains of the resources being chunked out to buy such weapons.”
He also assured other security agencies of the DSS’ commitment to provide them with credible intelligence.
Bichi said, “We shall continue to appreciate all the agencies that partner with us in the journey so far. And I promise the other security agencies that the DSS will continue to provide you with proactive intelligence to drive your operations intelligence.
“We have achieved that in different parts of the country. And I have to thank the military and the police especially for giving us that opportunity and appreciating our input in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in different parts of the country. We are going to sustain that by the grace of God. For the generality of the people. ”
He, however, urged residents of Plateau and Kaduna to shun their hostilities and convert them to jobs.
Bichi said, “Let me just advise us, especially the people of Plateau and Kaduna. It is now time for you and me to return Plateau to its 1970s situation where Plateau or Jos was seen as a tourist, attractive state or city. But with conflict, all the industries in Plateau are gone. No peace. You are idle. So please, turn your hostilities into jobs.
“We have seen that it happens in so many places. The Kanuris and Fulanis turn their hostilities into jobs. Kano and Zaira also did. So please do that and save the nation from disaster. Because there is no point from 1991 to date at the interval of four years you are having ethno-religious conflict.
“It’s not good. Talk to yourselves. Talk to your people. Be focused. See the development of Plateau. See what development and security. If you want development in your state, if you want security, you want development. ”
The DSS DG also urged Nigerians to desist from disparaging their leaders.
He said: “We have the indices of a great nation. So, It’s a question of how do you get out of that. Let us avoid simmering or disparaging our leaders. You can’t go anywhere by doing so. Most especially we are in a democratic dispensation. If you are patient enough, you can be able to achieve what somebody achieved now or in the near future. Let us talk to ourselves”.
