Isioma Madike 
…wonders why there’re still terrorists with the number killed, arrested
Mike Ejiofor, a retired Director with the Department of State Service (DSS), is a lawyer and Chairman/CEO, Apex Safety & Security Consultants. He told Isioma Madike in this interview that though there was progress in the fight against terror in 2024, the country needs to consolidate on what it has achieved so far. Excerpts:
How would you evaluate the security situation in the country in 2024?
The security challenges in Nigeria are multi-dimensional with some of them linked to politics while others are being caused by economic hardship. However, I think there was progress in 2024, but we need to consolidate on what we have achieved so far. I also think that we should intensify the graphics by letting people know the achievements with facts to back them up.
In a nutshell, I’d say it was a mixed feeling in the sense that in the North-East there was partial progress in curtailing the activities of terrorists; although there was an escalation of crisis in the North-West, kidnapping and other crimes. In the South-East, we had the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the issue of kidnapping, and other related challenges
However, in the South-West there were not much in terms of kidnapping, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some security issues in that region in the year under review. Generally speaking, I would say we had our ups and downs; we tried to curtail the activities of criminals in every region. To me, the security agencies didn’t do badly in 2024, but there is always room for improvement.
The government has said many times over that the terrorists had been decimated. Would you agree with that statement?
To some extent, yes. I was watching the news recently when it was said that over 2, 000 of those terrorists had been arrested and many of them killed. The majority of them were conscripted. So, if you begin to look at it, you would have seen that we have made some progress. The worry of Nigerians is that, if that number has been arrested, why are there still terrorists? You will agree with me that the number of incidences has reduced.
There have been worries about civilian casualties in recent bombings of terrorists’ enclaves, what could have been done to avoid such casualties?
The air strikes were meant to protect, and such casualties occur during such operations. However, I think with good intelligence, they can avoid such incidents. Some of them, the terrorists, have storage of explosives around and we have secondary explosions that will affect that. I think with the cooperation between the Air Force, Army and consolidated services, there are experts they can work with to reduce, not stop, just reduce, collateral damage.
The new terror group, Lakurawa, has added a twist to the insecurity issue Nigeria is battling with. Where does that leave the country in the fight against terrorism?
There is one mistake everyone is making, we don’t have a new terror group in Nigeria, they have been there since 2017. They came up and security outfits picked on them and their leaders ran away. They are only trying to regroup now and I’m happy that the government is taking decisive actions to prevent a stronghold. If we had done that, we wouldn’t have mismanaged the issue of Boko Haram in the North East at the time of their emergence. Look at Lakurawa, since their appearance, the activities have not been that felt because of the government efforts. I also believe that they will not be allowed to have a foothold in that area because don’t forget that they are operating within the government airspace.
Some have said that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is the main cause of conflict in the South East. How do you react to this?
For me as an individual, I’m not speaking for the government. I believe that the issue of Nnamdi Kanu is a political problem that requires a political solution. You can’t, out of fear, release Nnamdi Kanu. But since people are supposedly agitating that he should be released, maybe they should give him a conditional release, and the government should test the water to see if actually the holding of Nnamdi Kanu is the cause of the problem in the South-East.
Don’t forget that he has said repeatedly from his detention that he is not in support of the sit-at-home every Monday that has virtually grounded the economy of the South East. He has repeatedly condemned the killing of the people they proclaim to be fighting for. It doesn’t make any sense. I think the government should try and release Nnamdi Kanu, to me that will be a major plus for this administration if they do that.
Is there anything the military would have done to nip the security issue in the bud which you think they did not do?
I don’t think so, however some people will say they have done their best, but others will say that their best is not good enough. I think the government should be more interested in whatever happens within that arena. And the government seems to have started well already.
This 2025 budget is the largest so far in terms of defence. I want to advise that the government should have effective monitoring of the monetary allocation, especially from the National Assembly. Not what they get from the budget but that the budget is not just on paper; but the money released and effective monitoring of such budgetary allocations for what it’s meant for.
I heard that a senator in one of his contributions in the National Assembly, said the Senate Committee on Army and Air Force should ensure that they do not only provide more money to the armed forces but that they guide jealously what the security chiefs use that money to procure.
He was said to have mentioned that ‘the previous service chiefs had added money to build universities in their various communities. Those are the kinds of resources that should be used to procure modern technology. And as we speak, those institutions are not teaching anything about security. They are just other glorified universities. We should focus strictly on the items that the Army and the Air Force and other security agencies are going to spend the money to do.’
I think we should learn a lesson from that even though some people have done it before but these are not exactly what the budget was meant for. We should deploy more funds in technology now and welfare of the personnel. I think that’s the way to go. Once the personnel are motivated, I think we will get more results.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has several times been accused of overstepping its boundaries in trying to enforce arrests. Do you think it has operated within its limit?
As a retired director of security, there are a few individuals, and I must tell you that the appointment of the DG-DSS is important and has changed such a perception. Last year, he actually changed the dynamics of intelligence gathering and execution tactics. In 2024, they went back to being as professional as possible by engaging in covert missions which they are known for. Since he came, the DSS had been in the light for positive change.
Before his coming, the DSS would go straight to arrest but now they will go underground and are more professional. The agency needs the support of Nigerians and the collaboration of the army and police; they need the joint effort for effectiveness and to ensure that they succeed. I think one of the appointments that I’m glad about is the appointment of the DG-DSS. They have been very professional so far. Of course I’ve not heard of any adverse reports since then.
What would you like to see the government and security agencies do in 2025 to improve on what they have done in years past?
To me, the security sector should consolidate its efforts. It’s not going to be a one-man show. The government has given a substantial increase in the budget. Nigerians must also support our security agencies by saying things when they see things. These criminal elements live among the people and many know them. I’d like them to consolidate and destroy these enemies and make Nigeria a very comfortable place to live in. they all should work together to achieve the desired goal of properly securing the nation and its citizens.
There should be the need to emphasise collaborative efforts. The head of these security outfits should work hard to carry the rank and file along in this collaborative effort. For now, those at the top are doing fine in this regard, but at the bottom, there is still more to be done to achieve the same goal.
