Commandant, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Olusola Odumosu, has identified unhealthy rivalry among the security agencies as the season insecurity is thriving in Nigeria.

Speaking to newsmen after the launch of his book titled: ‘Nigeria Security Dilemma’ at the weekend, in Abuja, the commandant called for synergy among the various security agencies, saying that security is not what one agency or individual can do because no one has the monopoly of strategy.

According to him, the only way insecurity can be arrested is if the various security agencies see themselves as one united entity with a common purpose.

“From the title of the book, we are looking at insecurity from a very holistic perspective and we are looking at all the areas where we have challenges. There’s need for a united front because security is not what one agency or individual can do. No one has the monopoly of strategy. So, there’s need for us to wage war against criminality, against insecurity, against banditry, against kidnapping with a common front. And that’s what I am trying to preach. Of course, we are having what is called unhealthy, inter-agency rivalry which, of course, has been a bane to co-ordinated national responses to our security challenges. So, I am looking at it from that perspective where all the security agencies can understand that we must have same focus, same goal. And that whether your mandate is intertwined or interwoven, we have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and order in Nigeria. And the only way we can achieve it is if the various security agencies see themselves as one united entity with a common purpose, with a common goal, which is to arrest criminality, to make insecurity a thing of the past. And of course, we can only do this by sharing intelligence. But when we continue to fight each other, when we continue to see each other as competitors other than collaborators and drive this insecurity away from our national soil, we still have a lot of work to do. So, the essence of this is to have a co-ordinated national response to insecurity. Every security agency in this country must come together and have a united front and a common goal” he appealed

In his remarks, Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, advocated a review of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Establishment Act, arguing that the word “civil” in the agency’s name no longer reflects the realities of the threats its operatives confront.

Earlier, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, represented by Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole (rtd), said he personally reviewed a draft of the book about two weeks ago and noted its treatment of inter-agency rivalry. He said steps were already under way to strengthen collaboration among security agencies. “The stability of Nigeria is more important than the ego of any agency” he restated

Deputy Commandant General (DCG) Zakari Ibrahim Ningi, who represented the Commandant General (CG) of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Audi, said that insecurity had become a global phenomenon affecting every sector of human endeavour, of which Nigeria is not an exception, adding that the timing of the book’s launch could not have been better. (Guardian)

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