Police Affairs Minister, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, have attributed the rising wave of terrorism and insecurity in the country to weak border enforcement mechanisms and fragmented intelligence sharing systems.
Both men spoke at the stakeholders conference on security with a theme: “A Path to Regional Cooperation” organized by the Ministry of Police Affairs in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and National Central Bureau in Abuja.
Gaidam specifically pointed out that implementing the international standard and good practice of sound, modern, integrated, and cooperative border management would go a long way to addressing the threats of terrorism in the country.
He, therefore charged security agencies in Nigeria to adopt a holistic and multifaceted approach to put an end to terrorism and violent crimes across the country.
Earlier, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by Deputy Inspector General Logistics and Supplies DIG A. A. Hamzat, said the convergence of illicit drugs, small arms, and light weapons in the hands of criminal elements continues to fuel organized crime and extremism, adding that weak border enforcement mechanisms and fragmented intelligence sharing systems exacerbate the situation.
The minister revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had worked immensely to curb the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, bandits and other transnational crimes, listing some of the measures to include a biometric system at border checkpoints, integration of data analytics into border security operations and deployment of surveillance drones along critical border regions.
He, however, observed that despite the government’s efforts to end the menace of terrorism and violent extremism in the country, the threat posed by terrorism has risen significantly, adding that Nigeria was ranked the 6th most impacted country globally according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman Police Service Commission, PSC, Hashimu Salisu, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, represented by the Director, Police Discipline in the commission, Ferdinand Uchechukwu Ekpe, stated that no nation could afford to stand alone in the face of threats and insurgency, noting that a secure and peaceful Nigerian state is necessary for a secure and prosperous West Africa and the entire ECOWAS market area.
Also, the Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) represented by the Director of Intelligence, Kennedy Zirangey stated that the conference came at the right time when the nation is faced with insecurity like terrorism, banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, community conflicts and myriads of other security challenges, noting that the catalyst behind these insecurity threats is drug usage by the foot soldiers.