Almost everybody has come to admit that the current security architecture is incapable of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and securing the citizens, which is the first constitutional mandate of government. Over the years, even presidents have stressed the need for change.

The current security structure has proved inadequate because it is anchored on the antiquated template left behind by the British colonial administration. This structure was designed by a foreign power for the domination and exploitation of alien colonial “natives”. Unfortunately, the indigenous administrations that took over merely continued to use it to feather their regional and ethno-religious domination as “internal colonial powers”.

The resort to mere lip service has, over time, been perfected by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, in what they call “community policing”. What else is policing if not for the security of the community? What better way can a community be policed than by sourcing the police personnel mainly from the communities in which they operate? Is this what the NPF is really doing?

The Director-General of the Department of State Security Service, DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, has consistently shown that he understands what his job is all about. Apart from restoring the dignity and mystique of the Service, Ajayi is an advocate of hiring the best brains to work in the nation’s intelligence services. After all, security is more about intelligence than wasteful kinetics.

His call for the involvement of communities in their own security is in line with our prolonged advocacy to secure our people. Ajayi argues that every community should have a vigilante outfit licenced to use appropriate firearms to act as the first line of defence against invaders, terrorists, bandits, armed herdsmen, kidnappers and other violent criminals.

Ajayi is right in his postulation that our law enforcement agencies – military, police and security agencies – can never protect the nation without the assistance of members of each community. The entire forces are not up to one million personnel. They alone cannot protect a country of about 230 million citizens and 923,768 square kilometres landmass.

By involving the people in their own security and general governance, we can easily recover our ungoverned spaces from criminals who hide there and prey on the people. Nobody can defend a community better than members of that community.

People have often expressed the fear that firearms in the hands of the ordinary people could increase communal conflicts, violent settlement of personal scores and misuse by politicians. In our view, these can be controlled through good governance.

Leaving the citizens totally helpless and vulnerable to armed invaders and criminals is irresponsible and unacceptable. Criminals should not be allowed to enjoy the monopoly of violence. The people must be empowered to play a role in their own governance and security.

That is democracy! (Vanguard Editorial)