Security experts have called on the Federal Government to adopt intelligence-driven security operations and dismantle criminal financing networks as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle Nigeria's escalating insecurity challenges.
In an interview with The Guardian in Lagos, security consultant Olufemi Adeniji expressed concern that Nigeria's security crisis had grown increasingly complex, requiring a coordinated national response rather than reliance solely on military force. He lamented that various regions continue to grapple with distinct forms of insecurity, including insurgency and terrorism in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West, farmer-herder clashes in the North-Central region, and separatist-related violence in parts of the Southeast.
Adeniji noted that insecurity had also spread to the South-West, citing recent kidnapping incidents in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as evidence that no region is immune to the threat. He argued that while military operations are critical, the quickest gains could be achieved through improved intelligence gathering and targeted efforts to cripple the financial structures sustaining criminal groups.
Adeniji called for a shift from reactive security deployments to intelligence-led operations capable of identifying and neutralizing criminal and terrorist leaders before attacks occur.
Extraordinary Measures Needed
Similarly, security expert Dr. Charles Omole described the current Nigerian security crisis as extraordinary and demanded extraordinary measures. In a post on X titled 'Dealing with Increasing National Security Crisis', Omole noted that one of Nigeria's biggest challenges is the tendency of government officials to believe they have a monopoly on knowledge and solutions, especially on security matters.
He accused them of often ignoring valuable advice, including recommendations from the National Assembly, retired security professionals, academics, policy experts, community leaders, and ordinary citizens with practical insights. Supporting the government does not mean pretending that every approach is working. True support requires honesty, he stated.
Omole suggested that the Federal Government should declare a National Security Emergency, not as a sign of failure, but as a demonstration of urgency and seriousness. Such a declaration should be followed immediately by convening a high-level, non-partisan expert group comprising serving and retired security professionals, intelligence experts, technologists, academics, community leaders, and policy practitioners to identify quick wins and innovative interventions that can be implemented without delay.
