Need to overhaul nation’s security architecture

The need to overhaul the nation’s security architecture has been over emphasised in the last one year. It is instructive to note that the main reason for the persistence calls for a thorough overhaul of the security network by almost all the segments of the society is not far fetched.

It is principally to ensure peace, cohesion and to rejuvenate the national security .

The overhaul of the national security architecture has become imperative as the country faces political campaigns and election year.

If the experiences of political party primaries are to be a guide as to what we should expect from campaigns that will begin today, then the public definitely need assurances and confidence of the security agencies that they would guarantee credible, free and fair elections.

While we commend the heads of the key security agencies that have put in their best in the last three years for degrading the insurgents, we strongly believe that the emerging challenges such as the circumstance leading to the killings of Major General Idris Alkali (rtd),

the kidnapping and the eventual killing of the Paramount Chief of the Adara Chiefdom in Kaduna State , His Royal Highness , the Agom Adara , Dr . Maiwada Raphael Galadima amplified the call for an overhaul.

Like the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai stated recently when the Governor of Plateau State , Mr. Simon Lalong paid him a condolence visit on the death of General Alkali, ” the security architecture of the country must be reviewed to ensure that current killings are stopped.”

According to him, the death of Major General Idris Alkali, who was killed by yet to be arrested persons in Dura Du community in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State on September 3, 2018 should be ” a wake up call for all including the military to be decisive on the issues of insecurity in the country.”

General Alkali and Galadima cases are just one among many instances of killing of innocent people. Several Nigerians have been killed in communities whose cases are not investigated and even where investigations are caused to commence have remained inconclusive and suspects are not prosecuted.

Even at that, security remains fundamentally the focus of good governance. When authorities renegade it, so many things goes wrong and peace suffered. Presently, we have a very big gap between arrests and prosecution in our hands while the security and prosecution agencies must bridge the gap.

Going forward, we believe that the time has come for the government to invest heavily on intelligence gathering to reduce social evils in the society.

It is taking us as a country too long to realise the need for peace despite our bitter experiences of civil war, several unrests that arose from communal clashes, political unrest and the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency that has taken us about 10 years to bring the infamous action to an end.

We therefore lend our voice to the persistence calls for a total overhaul of the security system with a view to replacing security chiefs who have overstayed their welcome.

We are of the opinion that decisive action on the country’s architecture will restore public confidence on nation’s security agencies.

We submit that the way forward is to ensure harmony and cohesion between the larger society and security forces for positive development.