Thursday, December 4, 2025 - To tackle terrorism and crime across board, security stakeholders drawn from both the military and paramilitary, recently reiterated the need for deeper institutional collaboration.
This was the central focus of a one-day inter-agency lecture
and awards ceremony organized by Odita Sunday, publisher of Razornews, in
Lagos.
The event, which took place at the Shoregate Hotel in GRA,
Ikeja, carried the theme, “Institutional Collaboration as a Tool for
Counter-Terrorism and Crime.”
It drew attendance from senior officers of the Nigeria
Police Force, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Customs Service,
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and several private security and
safety organizations.
In his keynote address, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC)
John Attah Onoja, Commander of the Mining Marshal, warned that Nigeria’s
expanding security crisis cannot be resolved by any single agency working in
isolation.
He stressed that threats such as terrorism, banditry,
and kidnapping require coordinated intelligence-sharing, joint field
operations, and sustained partnerships between institutions.
Guest Speaker, Dr. Bone Chinye Efoziem, Managing Director of
Strict Guard Security Services, also emphasized the increasing relevance of
public–private partnerships.
He explained that private security organizations and host
communities play crucial roles in intelligence-gathering, surveillance, and
early-warning mechanisms that complement government-led security efforts.
At the close of discussions, participants adopted a
communiqué that underscored the urgent need for stronger synergy among
Nigeria’s security institutions.
The communiqué stated that, since criminality has no
boundaries, agencies such as the Armed Forces, Police, Immigration, Customs,
NSCDC, and NDLEA must work together seamlessly to address terrorism, banditry,
kidnapping, smuggling, and other crimes.
It also stressed that partnerships between state security
actors and non-state groups, including community vigilante outfits, have become
unavoidable given the scale of insecurity across the country.
The document further called for the promotion of patriotism
and nationalism among both security personnel and citizens, warning that
insecurity does not recognise religion, tribe, politics, or social class. It
urged stakeholders to prioritise the national interest above sectional
considerations in all security-related decisions.
Participants also advocated assigning greater
responsibilities to traditional rulers in community policing, noting that
traditional institutions are central to identifying criminal elements and
preventing local conflicts.
They emphasized that traditional rulers must discourage
land-grabbing practices, promote equitable use of community resources, and
avoid profiling non-indigenes, stressing that isolated acts of criminality
should not define entire groups.
In a notable policy suggestion, the communiqué proposed that
the Federal Government consider granting amnesty to armed bandits and
terrorists willing to surrender their weapons, alongside providing structured
education for their predominantly illiterate members.
It noted that unemployment, lack of education,
availability of illicit funds, proliferation of illegal arms, and drug abuse
remain major forces driving criminality nationwide.
The communiqué also criticized the lack of political will to
address illegal mining operations, particularly in the North-West, which it
described as a significant source of criminal financing.
It recommended stronger local and international
collaboration, including joint task forces, enhanced community policing, and
improved engagement with global bodies such as Interpol.
To improve operational efficiency, participants suggested
establishing a joint control centre for the military and police to facilitate
faster decision-making and rapid response.
They also encouraged deeper collaboration between the police
and local communities to support timely intelligence-gathering and early
detection of threats.
The summit featured contributions from His Imperial Majesty,
the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adewale Akanbi Telu I, who spoke on traditional conflict
resolution and community-based peacebuilding. Rear Admiral O. A. Bankole (rtd),
who represented former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olanrewaju Moshood Jimoh, representing
the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, also addressed
participants and reaffirmed their institutions’ commitment to enhanced
inter-agency cooperation.
The event concluded with the presentation of awards to
distinguished officers and members of the public in recognition of their
exceptional contributions to national security.
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