Former All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has called on the Federal Government to implement far-reaching institutional and policy reforms to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, including the establishment of state and local government police, enforcement of local government autonomy, and implementation of key security recommendations by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Onjeh said while Nigerians have every right to demand accountability from government over insecurity, public discourse should focus more on practical solutions than on individuals occupying public office.

According to him, the protection of lives and property remains the primary responsibility of government, and citizens are justified in expressing concerns about rising insecurity.

“No citizen should be condemned for demanding security. Government exists first and foremost to protect lives and property,” he stated.

The former Chairman of the Governing Board of the Projects Development Institute (PRODA), Enugu, however argued that insecurity is a longstanding national challenge that has persisted across successive administrations and should not be reduced to the performance of any single president.

“We have heard ‘Jonathan must go.’ We heard ‘Buhari must go.’ Today, some people say ‘Tinubu must go.’ Yet insecurity remains. That should tell us that the challenge is bigger than any one President,” he said.

Onjeh noted that insecurity undermines governance, discourages investment, slows economic growth and worsens the hardship faced by citizens.

He commended members of the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, vigilante groups and hunters for their sacrifices in protecting communities across the country.

He also paid tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty and sympathised with victims of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

According to Onjeh, Nigerians have already defeated terrorism at the ideological level, noting that attempts by extremist groups such as Boko Haram to divide the country along religious lines failed because citizens rejected such narratives.

He said both Christians and Muslims have suffered from terrorist attacks and criminal violence, demonstrating that insecurity affects all Nigerians regardless of religion or ethnicity.

The former National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) identified decentralisation of policing as one of the most urgent reforms required to improve security.

He advocated the creation of state police and local government police under a constitutionally regulated framework, arguing that community-based policing would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve accountability and make it more difficult for criminal elements to infiltrate security structures.

“Security is most effective when those protecting a community know the community and the community knows those protecting it,” he said.

Onjeh further argued that decentralised policing would create employment opportunities for thousands of unemployed youths while strengthening local security architecture.

He also called for the full implementation of local government autonomy, describing it as critical to governance, grassroots development and community security.

According to him, autonomous local governments would be better positioned to invest in education, healthcare, agriculture, roads and local security initiatives, while also supporting policing operations through logistics and infrastructure.

“The fight against insecurity is not only about guns and uniforms. It is also about governance, development, jobs, education, healthcare and restoring hope to communities,” he said.

Onjeh urged the Federal Government to implement recommendations repeatedly advanced by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, particularly in the areas of intelligence gathering, border security, youth engagement, technological deployment and collaboration between security agencies and local communities.

He also advocated stronger border controls, deployment of drones and surveillance systems, biometric monitoring platforms and integrated intelligence structures to improve security operations.

The APC chieftain further identified corruption as a major obstacle to national security, arguing that resources lost through corruption could have been invested in security infrastructure, education, healthcare and youth employment.

He stressed the need to improve the welfare, equipment and operational support available to security personnel, while calling for the prosecution of sponsors, financiers and collaborators of terrorist, bandit and kidnapping networks.

Onjeh concluded by urging Nigerians to unite around reforms capable of producing lasting security solutions, rather than focusing on partisan divisions.

According to him, the challenge facing Nigeria is no longer the absence of solutions but the political will and commitment required to implement them.