National Security: Steady Gains And Need For Improvement

An assessment of the security situation in the country in the last one year of President Tinubu’s administration by EMMANUEL ONANI indicates a gradual improvement

Since the Boko Haram insurgency reared its ugly head in 2009, the nation has continued to witness challenges of insecurity occasioned by terrorism, banditry, separatist agitations and other crimes that threaten national security and public safety.

As a matter of fact, there is no geopolitical zone of the country, that is not suffocating under the weight of insecurity even as the military, intelligence, security and other law enforcement agencies rev up their disruptive and containment capabilities.

Amid the spate of insecurity in the country, which experts maintain is a microcosm of the global dimension that crime/criminality has assumed, it will be safe to argue that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration has recorded some modest achievements in the nation’s security sub-sector.

This “dialectical argument” derives its strength from the operational successes recorded by troops in the North-East, South-East and other theatres of operation across the country. The revelation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, early this year to the effect that “so far, 106,000 terrorists and their family members have surrendered in the North-East” gives fillip to the position.

This, notwithstanding, efforts must be intensified to restore the full authority of the state across the length and breadth of the “giant of Africa” and this much was echoed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who said: “The military is going to continue to be very kinetic and strong against the terrorist in ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations across the country.

Indeed, we will banish and defeat terrorism from the nation rather than bow to it.” In separate interviews, an ex-State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor, as well as a retired Assistant Director of the DSS, Mr. Dennis Amachree, differed on the security situation, even as they concluded that a lot needs to be done going forward.

While Ejiofor insists that “still have challenges, but the (security) situation has improved”, Amachree insists that the outlook is “precarious” in nature.

In his review of the security situation of Tinubu government, Amachree said: “In the first speech of this president, last year, he promised to review the security infrastructure of the country. As a security professional, my analysis of the situation will be unbiased.

I am not a politician. Despite the dialogue on state policing, our legislators are bidding their time to rush this through the National Assembly. “Considering the urgency, most state governors have indicated their support for the idea of state police. The security situation in Nigeria remains precarious.

Boko Haram is still ravaging the NorthEast; bandits and Ansaru terrorist gangs are attacking towns in the North-West; unknown gunmen dominate the SouthEast, armed herdsmen are attacking farmers in the North Central and SouthWest; while pirates and militants in the South-South have ensured that Nigeria never meets her oil production quota.

“The country is under siege and requires an urgent panacea. The national security threats from terrorists, cattle rustling, regional violence, gang violence, as well as farmers/herders crisis, need to be a priority item for this government. “There are little wins from the military and the intelligence community, but the big fish in the house, the police has not been fed.

The government needs to do something that will give the Nigerian public a sense of security. Nigeria still remains the kidnapping headquarters of the world. “For now, there is the need to solve the security problems, including food security. Government should show effectiveness by positioning the various security agencies to confront the menace of insecurity”