*Provides pathways to effective policing in Nigeria

Mike Okiro is a former Inspector General of Police. He takes a critical look at Nigeria’s security challenges and offers pathways for effectively tackling the problem of insecurity

Root causes of insecurity

The administration has designed a comprehensive strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of insecurity and crime, such as poverty, unemployment, and social inequality. The administration has to its credit several socio-economic intervention programs to tackle poverty and reduce unemployment among the country’s ordinary and vulnerable citizens.

It is saddening, however, that in spite of all these efforts and more, widespread insecurity has persisted.

Hardly any day passes without reports of violence, abductions, killings, banditry, terrorist invasions and bloodshed. Indeed, organized crime in Nigeria has become pervasive. Kidnapping for ransom, cybercrime, smuggling of arms, drug trafficking and trafficking in persons, among others are now common spectacles.

Between 2022 and 2023, reports had it that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) intercepted a shipment of 1,000 AK-47 rifles concealed in a container at the Lagos port. In collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a security operation, the NPF and the NDLEA also seized 2.3 tons of methamphetamine (hard drug) in Lagos, described as one of the largest illicit drug hauls in West Africa.

The Commission arrested a syndicate responsible for defrauding foreign investors of over $10 million through a sophisticated online phishing scam. The list goes on and on.

Why Nigeria is the 8th most terrorized country in the world

Nigeria is currently ranked as the 8th most terrorized country in the world. The situation is not unconnected with the rise and somewhat sustained onslaughts of insurgent groups like the Boko Haram, and its splinter rival, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Nigeria has remained under significant security siege as a result of their hostilities, especially in the northeastern flanks of the country.

In response to the daunting and frustrating security challenges confronting the nation, especially in remote communities, some vocal voices are speaking up. A former Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (Retired), recently advised Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits, terrorists and other criminals. Speaking in the aftermath of recent spate of killings in Plateau and Benue States, Danjuma said the killings validated his warning about five years back that government alone cannot adequately secure the citizenry. He said Nigerians must rise and defend themselves, and not sit back and watch while bandits, terrorists, and criminal gangs massacre innocent citizens and communities.

Lately, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, also expressed the need to allow communities some level of armament to enable them defend themselves against invaders. “You do not expect the Nigerian Army, police, (and) DSS, to protect every Nigerian… It is not going to work. What we have to start experimenting with is how we can make the community become the first in the line of defense,” Ajayi said.

My concerns about State Police

Likewise, agitations are currently ongoing for the creation of state police structures. The 19 northern governors, under the auspices of the Northern States Governors Forum, few weeks ago, demanded an immediate review of the Nigerian security strategy and the creation of state police to tackle the resurgence of terrorists in some parts of the North East, killings in the North West and North Central, as well as the general insecurity in the country.

All these are coming up because of the rising profile of insecurity in the country and the desperate search for solutions. While the validity for self defense cannot be totally discountenanced, care must be taken to ensure that it does not lead to self help, abuse, jungle justice and lawlessness. In the hysteria for state police, the call is like “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” If the Federal Government is being accused of abusing its control of the federal police, the Nigeria Police Force, because of its unitary command structure, are there no chances that states will do exactly the same, or even worse if state police structures are established under the control of governors? Indeed, creating 36 state police establishments at this stage of the nation’s fledgling democracy may be akin to splitting government’s control, abuse and misuse of the police into 36 places, in addition to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which will be under the control of the Federal Government. This will be a recipe for chaos.

The way forward

Organized criminal networks, whether they are into terrorism and insurgency, illicit drugs and human trafficking, notorious cybercriminal gangs, kidnapping, violence and general banditry, etc., exploit the incorrigible economic hardship and the high unemployment rate in the country to recruit victims. Sometimes the potential criminals don’t even know what they are being recruited into, as many of them are tricked into crime in the guise of being offered lucrative job opportunities locally or abroad. Since it has been proven that the use of force alone cannot address security challenges, the government should invest sufficiently and resolutely in addressing poverty, unemployment, and social inequality to reduce the major drivers of crime and insecurity. This will assist in drying up the pool from which organized crime draws membership.

Urgent need for adequate and sustained efforts to enhance internal security provisioning

The Nigeria Police Force is the main security agency vested with the mandate for internal responsibilities. But the police are not properly kitted to do the job. The NPF is not properly funded; it doesn’t have enough manpower, up-to-date training, as well as modern technology and equipment to work with, while those in the system are not adequately remunerated and motivated. Intensified investment in security reforms, modernized equipment, and training for security agencies are therefore crucial. Should the country forge ahead with the creation of state police under the prevailing deficit conditions of the NPF, there is no guarantee that the crime wave will be arrested any time soon, except for more resourced states that are committed to the proper funding and kitting of their police entities.

Advantages of community policing

The country should take advantage of the potentials for crime fighting offered by Community Policing. The community policing approach engages with local communities. It promotes mutual trust, respect for citizens’ rights, dialogue and reconciliation. Community policing can help in isolating insurgents, as well as at-risk youths and prevent their recruitment into crime.

Porous borders

The challenges posed by border security are additional critical concerns of national security. Nigeria shares borders with four West African countries as follows: Cameroun to the East, Benin Republic to the West, Chad to the North East and Niger Republic to the North. Nigeria’s borders stretching to over 4,000 kilometers are also acclaimed to be porous. This is frightening. For, the porous borders make room for the illegal movement of goods, including arms, ammunition and questionable individuals into the country. This exacerbates Nigeria’s security threats, especially terrorism, smuggling of drugs and human trafficking, among others. All of these pose significant challenges to law enforcement agencies in the country. The subsisting scant infrastructure provisioning at the nation’s borders should be firmly addressed, including the provision of sufficient manpower, adequate surveillance and monitoring technology, and proper coordination cum interagency cooperation between the law enforcement agencies manning the borders, especially the police, Nigeria Customs Service and the military.

Collaboration between security agencies

Strong collaboration between the police and the military in joint security operations, including border patrols, should be intensified; taking cognizance of pervading banditry, insurgency, terrorism, and organized crime.

Strengthen partnerships

Strengthening partnerships with international organizations, especially the United Nations Office on Counter Terrorism (UNOCT), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and other organizations and countries are also very necessary for the purpose of strengthening counter-terrorism efforts and supporting security sector reforms.

Regular evaluation and assessment of the country’s security strategies, procurement, adaptation and the integration of adequate modern technology for security operation have also become absolutely necessary to effectively tackle the country’s current security drift as well as evolving security threats.