Ex-NSA, Gusau Seeks Rework of Nigeria’s Security Architecture

Zamfara launches community protection guards

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

A former National Security Adviser (NSA), Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd), yesterday called for an overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, maintaining that it would be difficult, for instance, for the current police force to patrol the entire nation effectively.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards, he explained that it was an opportunity to reflect on the security challenge in Zamfara that has sparked a massive humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of people.

Aside from those who have lost their lives in recent years, Gusau noted that numerous others have been displaced and denied access to their settlements, farmlands, education and healthcare facilities.

“I stand here today not as a politician, but as a non-partisan father figure who has the best interests of our community and our country at heart.” 

“That explains why for more than a decade, I have utilised the Gusau Institute, a non-profit think tank and research entity I founded, to facilitate national discourse on issues concerning human security and good governance.

“It is particularly noteworthy that on two occasions, we brought together various stakeholders to discuss the importance of effective policing in Nigeria as a way of addressing these pressing challenges,” the retired military officer stated.

With an estimated population of 223.8 million, and a diverse terrain covering 923,768 square kilometres, Gusau stressed that 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,” he pointed out.

According to the former minister of defence, the time has come for Nigeria to rethink this strategy in the best interest of the country.

He lamented that 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.

Gusau who served three presidents as NSA, said that while perpetrators now act with impunity, additional deployment of the military to hotspots has not achieved the desired results.

Therefore, he said that the initiative by the Zamfara State Government, which complements activities of the regular police force, within the ambit of the law was the right way to go.

However, the former commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), said that for it to succeed, strategic consideration should be given to creating appropriate support structures across the board.

To him, Nigerians must understand that security is a community effort and the responsibility of all and not only the police or armed forces.

He stated that while there was the need for greater inter-agency collaboration, tot was also important for cooperation between government and the private sector, from the common man on the street to traditional leaders and state institutions.

Quoting the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, who was also a former Inspector General of Police, on the pivotal role of public private partnerships to enhance security, he said that such partnership can lead to improved security outcomes by leveraging the private sector’s resources and expertise to complement the government’s efforts.

“Some states have already initiated structures like the Community Protection Guards to assist the national police. Still, I would like to emphasise that safeguards must be put in place to forestall possible abuse.

“Taking the broader picture into account, technological advances have had a huge impact on how policing is conducted and viewed. Using technology, intelligence, and data in innovative ways has become a priority in crime fighting efforts.

“Gathering and disseminating intelligence effectively among all security agencies and outfits on a regular basis, and across state lines, are key to successful action against criminal activities,” the former military chief said.

For such collaboration to work, Gusau emphasised that there must be trust, including between and among the security personnel, but also argued that the trust must be earned.

He congratulated the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, for the initiative, noting that the idea is to support efforts of the Nigerian Police Force to work towards achieving security.

He urged members of the security outfit to keep in mind that they are deployed in a supportive role to assist and work with the police and the armed forces., especially in areas of sourcing actionable intelligence.

He called on the conventional security organisations to provide the best of their support and cooperation for the success of the initiative, urging them to engage them in their various security operations.

“Let me call on the traditional, political, and religious leaders, as well as other community leaders, to support this drive. As community leaders, your support in this direction would inspire members of your communities to equally lend their support to this initiative,” he stressed.