By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South- South, Emma Nnadozie, Sam Oyadongha, Jimitota Onoyume, Egufe Yafugborhi, Chioma Onuegbu, Ozioruva Aliu, and Ike Uchechukwu

Retired generals, Deputy Inspectors- General of Police, DIGs, and other security experts have blamed the security challenges in the country on corruption, calling for collaboration among the people, security agencies, and government to tackle the problem.

They also backed the move for the establishment of state police and tasked the government on political will to fight insecurity, while asking the federal government to inspire security agencies with regards to their monthly salaries, and other incentives.

The retired security czars, who proffered solutions to the nagging insecurity glitches, include former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Idada Ikponmwen, retd.; United Kingdom-trained security expert and member of the 38th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, HRM, King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV, the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, Bayelsa State; former Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, Chief Emma Ejiofor; and former Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Udom Ekpoudom, retd. Others are Rekpene Bassey, a security expert and former Security Adviser to ex-Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Rekpene Bassey, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police,

Barrister Taiwo Lakano; retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Azubuko Udah; and retired DIG Innocent Nwobodo, among others.

There should be concerted efforts – IKPONMWEN

Speaking to Vanguard in Benin, Brigadier-General Ikponmwen retd, blamed corruption for the security woes of the country. His words: “I do not think we should continue to look like a joker country. There must be synergy among people, security agencies, and government. All arms of government must be committed to eradicating corruption or reduce it to the barest minimum. There is nowhere there is no corruption but when corruption becomes the order of the day, then you can practically say there is no government.

“Former National Security Adviser, the late General Owoye Azazi, posed this question to me and I said it was very sad that the nation could not provide security for its people, we have been talking about insecurity for so long. “For you to have security, you have to have the structure; you have to have the manpower;you have to have the motivation and the men; you have to have collaboration between the people and the security agencies vis-a-vis people and the government.

“For how long have we been hearing, even during President Jonathan’s time, that Boko Haram, which had been with us for so long, was in the government, that they were in the Senate, in the army, in the judiciary? Can you remember? “Therefore, it is not a new problem; it is that every government appears to have been worse than the previous one.Except for President Bola Tinubu’s own, they are just coming. We cannot properly assess his government.

“But I can tell you that in terms of security, government after government has failed and obviously, I can say without any fear of contradiction that every government has been worse than the one before it. So, a whole lot has to be done. “Today, we will change the Nigerian Police Act, tomorrow, we will do redeployment, the election is coming, we move thousands of troops of police and army to the place where they are going to do the election, yet the same sing-song, the same problem continues to recur. “It is good to identify the problem but do we have a government that is determined, and has the will power to address these problems?

“All these security agencies are practically ill-equipped, practically ill-motivated because their welfare is not adequately taken care of; their number is inadequate and as I said before, there is hardly any visible coordination between the locals and the government at every level. “When Boko Haram struck Chibok and carted away people, an American reporter at that time said they had information and that security agencies were informed 24 hours before they struck. The attack was carried out, human beings were carried away, and up till today, we have been looking for some of those who were carted away.

“Nigeria must have a team of government that is committed to moving this country forward and I must say that one of the greatest encumbrances to security in this country is corruption, when we hear of embezzlement and the amount involved, it is so mind-boggling that it gives the impression of a nation that is not serious. “How can you just appoint a minister and in less than six months, billions have been carted away either alone or in conjunction with others? We need the government to rededicate to the issue of security. One security issue is connected to the other and they are all a network.” Some other generals who pleaded anonymity, spoke in the same vein, asking the federal to deploy thechnology against insurgents, bandits and kidnappers.

Train, equip, pay police well – HRM DAKOLO

In like manner, HRM, King Bubaraye Dakolo linked the security challenges to corruption and injustice meted out on the people of Niger Delta by the Nigerian state According to the Chairman of Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council: “If I were the President, I will look at how to first of all make the economy okay. Also, I have to ensure that the police are properly trained, equipped, have the needed manpower, and made to do their job as enshrined in the constitution, and not the military doing their job.” “If that is done, there will be a very big change, and if the president shows that he is committed to punishing those who have stolen our common resources. “As you are aware, there was a police chief, years ago, caught with multiple billions in his account. These are police officers’ money. I can tell you that it has not changed. Everybody is just waiting for his turn. That is not how to build a country.

“The police are supposed to be trained, equipped, and get what is their entitlement legitimately so that they do not have to collect bribes on the road. “The federal government must learn to quickly liberalize oil and gas, let the Niger Delta people, who are the goose that lay the golden egg have a fair sense of belonging because if you are taking what belongs to a particular people, and mismanaging it, then, of course, the land itself will be angry with you, and that way, you will never have peace. “As long as the Niger Delta oil is not equitably distributed and not benefiting the people of the region, we are going to keep having all of these crises. If you remember, abduction started down here, and it is now a national pastime. The federal government must wake up to this injustice. The government should also allow state police so that the states can have their police force for their security purposes. You bring someone from one part of the country to another and he is not interested in the people there, what happens? Policing is skewed.

The government must wake up and assure the citizens that they are safe and will not be robbed without the state adequately responding.”

Political will is major factor – EJIOFOR

Suggesting a way out of the security problem in the country, former DSS Director, Chief Emma Ejiofor, said: “Security agencies should be motivated concerning incentives and monthly salaries; appointments of heads of agencies should be based on merit and not on political, religious, and tribal sentiments; and inter-agency liaison should be strengthened among sister agencies. “Areas of discontent should be addressed by the federal government; adequate logistics should be provided for officers and men in the theatre; and political will by governments of the day is a major factor.”

Track down political leaders protecting criminals – OVIE

A top security expert who simply identified himself as Dr. Ovie said the government should go after political leaders providing cover for criminals, bandits, and terrorists. “Government should be decisive. Go after political leaders giving protection to criminals. This way, we will begin to get it right. Our elections are do-or-die affairs; politicians recruit criminals on their payrolls. When these boys commit all kinds of crimes, they feel they are protected by their political masters, they are emboldened.

“The political class from the top to the bottom should be honest in the fight against crime and they should be part of it. They should allow security operatives to do their job unhindered. “Community leaders should also be part of the fight against kidnappings. These kidnappers are known to the communities, they relate with the communities. Sadly, they enjoy protection from some members of the communities, even though they may not be from the communities. Some of the kidnappers are herders, so why should community leadership not mobilize against them? “This question takes us again to the fear that the kidnappers are protected from the top. Move against them, they come back in a few days for you.”

Appoint IGP only on merit – DIG EKPOUDOM (retd.)

On his part, DIG Udom Ekpoudom, retd, who decried the security situation in the country, said: “Let me speak on my constituency, the Police Force. You cannot buy experience. They should do what late President Musa Yar’Adua did. Yar’Adua loved the security of this country and immediately he came in, he set up a committee to look into problems of the Police. Then, I was the Force Secretary in the Police Force. “One of the things he did was to insist that Inspector Generals of Police, IGPs, were appointed only from among the DIGs because of experience. But immediately Yar’Adua died, and another government came in, that changed. They will now go down to pick someone without enough experience. What do you expect? That was when the problem started.

“So, I am advising that the government should pick IGPs from among the seven DIGs because security is not like any other sector. It requires experience. I am happy the present President, I think, will be changing that system because of the last IGP he appointed. So, my advice is if the federal government wants to change Inspector General of Police, it should forget about politics. “Two, the equipment they give to the Police is not enough. You see a policeman having just five bullets, in a country that these bad boys have taken over. The Police force is meant for internal security. If you do not equip them very well, forget about it.

“From what I am seeing, they do not equip them well, which is not good. You cannot compare the kind of sophisticated weapons and ammunition these bad boys have with that of the police in particular. “The problem of insecurity in the country cannot be properly addressed if we do not establish state police. The country is too big for a single police force. Why do we have unitary police? “The federal government should go along with other forms of police as they have in other climes- the US in particular, where you have federal police, you have state police, and also the local government police, which we see as community police, to take care of all nooks and crannies of the country. We are not going to succeed in tackling crimes headlong unless we create State Police.”

Invest in intelligence gathering – REKPENE BASSEY

For Rekpene Bassey, a holistic approach needs to be put in place and Nigeria’s security architecture. requires a complete re-branding and overhauling, among others. He said: “The investment in intelligence gathering equipment is vital for Nigeria. To win the war against insecurity, we must invest in drones, forensic material, training and retaining of our personnel should be taken more seriously.

“We must scrutinize our recruitment process and protocol; we must take the individuals we are recruiting into our security system seriously. “There must be a world standard remuneration scheme to keep personnel passionate and well-motivated, their welfare must be topnotch and a priority. “For instance, when a policeman dies, it takes years for his family to be paid his benefits, even when he retires, the same thing. This must stop, and we must make our security agents a priority so that they can give their best.”

Also reflecting on the security situation in the country, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, AzubukoUdah, stated that the Nigeria Police Force must by adequately funded and trained in order to enable it have the capacity and capability to cope with the growing sophistication of bandits, kidnappers and abductors. According to him, the police at the local government area and station levels lack the very important logistics, accouterment for personnel, vehicles, modern crime detection and prevention gadgets, including modern tracking equipment.

‘’These are essentials that put the police on its proper pedestal of its historical accomplishments in the past when police always rose to the challenge of ensuring that Nigeria did not disintegrate,” he said.

Neglect of Police Trust Fund On the issue of funding, Udah said: “The Police Trust Fund, if it is going to have any meaningful impact, must follow the successful Lagos State model. That body need to study and apply the indices thatmadetheLagosmodeltobea success so that the entire country can feel the impact of the role of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

Similarly, retired DIG Adeleye Oyebade, who opined that the agenda should involve all stakeholders, said: “There was a time we went on a course, and that’s the normal national assignment or national issues of policy and strategic studies. ‘’We were asked to do research on strengthening the security framework of the Nigeria state. We came up with a study without mincing any words. That report is holistic and has all the implementation strategies we need to really use to bring crime down to a reasonable level. What we are talking about is the policy options that are already given in that document.

“When I was DIG in charge of research and planning, we already started working on the community project because it is all about community policing. Crime is dynamic, and crime is always growing as society develops.’’ Community policing as a panacea I’ll suggest community policing as the way out. Community policing is problem-solving; community policing is also a police apparatus of a system we will use to address various types of security challenges in different areas. ‘’What is happening in the North-East, North-West is different from what’s happening in the South-East and South-West. Socrimeisrelated to time. If you look at the northern part of the country, we are dealing with geographical settlements and other things there, which is part of the challenges when they want to pick up suspects. “You have to develop your security apparatus and calculate how you can confront such challenges. The society will have to go back to the drawing board and use community policing; we have to develop different strategies that will address different areas of the country and by doing so, it will bring crime to the barest minimum by also having the support of all other agencies.

“While preparing that report, we traveled far and wide to African countries and outside Nigeria. That was 2018, senior executive course 40. I expect the government to come back and pick up this report and implement it in terms of community policing. No lip service to collaboration In the same vein retired DIG Innocent Nwobodo said the government should prioritise addressing the insecurity situation in Nigeria by fostering cooperation and collaboration among security agencies. “It’s important to note that the effect of synergy among different levels of government is a multiplier effect, impacting the military, police, state security services, and everyone involved insecurity.

“My recommendation will be that the agencies should cooperate, collaborate, synergize, and see how they can tackle this problem. Of course, they have those themselves working toward the same goals and ensuring security for Nigerians. “IcanaffirmthatNigeriaisagreat country. IfNigerianscantraveland interact freely, it would greatly benefit the country, including the economy.

‘’Unfortunately, people are crippled by fear, making it challenging to venture outside their space. If the government addresses security concerns, it will have a positive multiplier effect. How can they help? Let’s leverage technology – science, technology, and innovation (STI) can be effectively deployed to checkmate insecurity in the country. Drones to the rescue “We have the Police Trust Fund. The Police Trust Fund outlines the purposes of its establishment, which is the stopgap measure to bolster the effectiveness of the police force. It is intended to be deployed for the acquisition of state-of-the-art training, logistics, and the welfare of police personnel.

‘’Why are you journalists not asking relevant questions? How is that fund being deployed? Is it being used to settle political associates or does it truly benefit the force? Soon, thatfundwillceasetoexistasithasa time frame. “Policemen need continuous training and access to advanced equipment like drones. Why not establish a joint unit involving all security agencies with drones and unmannedaerialvehiclestomonitor our forests and other ungoverned areas? We often speak of lofty ideals, but can we actually walk the talk and prioritize these issues? Restore communities taken over by bandits “Imagine a Nigeria where every citizen can move freely under the assurance of a secure life – the boundless energy of Nigerians would be unleashed, positively impacting the economy. Having worked in various parts of Nigeria, I know the economic activities I could engage in, such as Maiduguri or Plateau State, but why risk my life when security is of concern? ‘’So, thisissuehasaneffectonboth national security and, of course, the national economy. If the security of people, their property, and goods is guaranteed, the boundless energy of the people will be unleashed, positively impacting the economy.

‘’I’ve heard about spaces being taken over, territories seized by bandits. Why are these bandits allowed to enjoy the fruits of their crimes, wreak havoc on communities and remain there? The Federal Republic of Nigeria, as represented by the Nigerian government, should firmly reject this. “Communities in Plateau State that have been displaced must be restored to their original places of abode. We must expel criminals, bandits, and terrorists; they should not be allowed to enjoy the benefits of their past crimes. “Allowing people from Mali, Chad, and other parts of West Africa to displace indigenous communities in Nigeria is unacceptable. The Nigerian military and security forces should intervene, restore these communities and make it clear that business as usual will not be tolerated. ‘’TheNigerianstateismorethan capable of addressing this issue. Having served in the police force and trained with the military, I, as a product of the National Police College, believe that our combined efforts can restore people back to their areas and communities where they were displaced.”

Intelligence is key – LAKANO

On his part, another retired DIG Taiwo Lakano said: “The security must be perfect. It is also an upshoot of our problem that the economy is not doing well. And I would say the federal government will need to work harder to provide needs for the Police to make them very effective. ‘’When you talk of security, you talk of intelligence. We must have a robust intelligence team that must know what is happening. The function of the DS, NIS, andCIA, all of them must come together. ‘’Sometimes, they work at cross purposes.

If they work in isolation, they cannot achieve results. They need to come together and define a role. The police, apart from being the first contact, should be well equipped and made to be very effective. ‘’That will make the police very effective. Then, you have also noticed that the Army is biting more than they can chew. The military boys are everywhere. They have taken over the functions of the police. They are in charge of internal security. And when they are in charge, you provide the need.

“We need technology; we need equipment to tackle crime; we need a lot of recruitment that will make the police very effective. It’s not creating other competing agencies that will make the police effective. ‘’I am not talking about only the police; the thing is a tripod. One, welfare of police, provision of logistics, and, of course, you need to organize men to work. Policemen are not well taken care of. ’The salary of a retired CP is under N100,000. When they are in service, they are more interested in getting more money so that retirement will be peaceful. Retired policemen should be taken care of. So those retiring will know their fate.”