Gen. Gusau says the Centralized Police System Can’t Secure Nigeria from Criminals

Former National Security Adviser, and Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Aliyu Gusau has said the centralized police system could not secure Nigeria from criminals and terrorists.

According to Gusau, Nigeria needs to rethink its security strategy to cope with the renewed killings and kidnappings across the country.

The retired general, speaking in Gusau, during the graduation ceremony of the community protection guard of Zamfara state government, said there was a need for community policing to support the military and Nigeria Police Force.

He explained that Nigeria with over 200 million population and 923,768 square kilometers of territory was difficult to secure with a single police system.

Gusau said he was worried that the deployment of troops to hotspots in the country has not stopped the lives being lost daily to terrorism, armed robbery cultism, and kidnapping.

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Some states have already initiated structures like the Community Protection Guards to assist the national police.

Still, I would like to emphasize 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 regularly, and across state lines, are key to successful action against criminal activities.

In this context, local knowledge is invaluable. Effective security is anchored on fully understanding the environment before deploying appropriate tools that involve the buy-in of all critical stakeholders.