Nigeria too complex for central policing – Ex-defence minister

A former Minister of Defence, Aliyu Gusau, has attributed the rising cases of insecurity to Nigeria’s complex nature, stressing that the nation is too complex to be secured by the police alone.

This was as a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, says Nigeria has found itself grappling with a dangerous situation following the recent spike in kidnappings in the country.

Gusau, speaking on Wednesday at the Community Protection Guard graduation ceremony, a community-based security outfit established by the Zamfara State Government,  said there was a need to rethink the country’s security strategy.

Gusau said, “With an estimated population of 223.8 million, and a diverse terrain covering 923,768 square kilometers, Nigeria is a difficult country to secure. Therefore, expecting a single police force to patrol and control such a large and complex nation effectively is a very tall order indeed. The time has come for us to rethink this strategy in the best interest of our country.

“Currently, innocent lives are lost daily as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, organised crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cultism become the order of the day in theatres across Nigeria. While perpetrators now act with impunity, additional deployment of the military to hotspots has not achieved the desired results.

“However, for it to succeed, strategic consideration should be given to creating appropriate support structures across the board. We must understand that security is a community effort and the responsibility of all, not only the police or armed forces.”

On his part, George, during a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, said Nigeria was on “the precipice of total collapse”.

The PUNCH reported on Tuesday that gunmen abducted  some schoolchildren on the same day that two monarchs in the state were killed in what was believed to be a failed kidnap attempt.

The gunmen were said to have abducted six pupils, three teachers of a private school, and their bus driver while they were returning from Eporo-Ekiti on Monday night.

Although he has since regained freedom, the chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the PDP, Philip Aivoji, was also abducted by some gunmen along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Expressing shock over what kidnapping was turning the country into, George called for the provision of sophisticated weapons for the South-West local security outfit, otherwise known as Amotekun, and the creation of state and community policing across the country to fight the current security challenges in the country.

He said, “What can Amotekun do to fight kidnappers in the South without weapons? The time to revisit this is now. Is there also a need for state police? Yes, President Tinubu should not shy away from it.

“He should also go and get the reports on the constitutional conference. This constitution is also part of the obstacles that are recklessly disturbing the growth of the country.

“It is impossible for one man to control the security of the entire country. Like this issue of insecurity and all that, the governors would go there, but they have limited powers.

“Even if you deploy the police, it is federal police. Before you can deploy the federal police, the states must have failed in their actions. This is what they do in the US. The impact of community policing is unimaginable. Why can’t we do this because right now we are on the precipice of total collapse?”