Police overwhelmed, incapable of handling complex security challenges – NSA

..Reveals value of seized smuggled items hit N3.5b in 4
months

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno
(retd) has revealed that the reason the armed forces are drafted
into civil matters is that Nigeria Police are overstretched and
therefore unable to cope with most of the complexity and intensity
of the numerous security challenges in the country.

Speaking at a one-day workshop on strategic forum for heads of
security agencies of the 36 states and the FCT, organised by the
Department of State Services (DSS), he further revealed that the
volume of seized, smuggled items since August this year had hit
N3.5 billion.

Speaking on the topic “Contemporary security challenges in
Nigeria: Implications for National Security,” the NSA said that the
workshop would not have come at a better time than now that the
nation is currently grappling with a plethora of security
challenges.

He also revealed that the involvement of the armed forces in
civil authority had resulted in the reduction in Nigerian troops’
contribution to Peace Support Operations (PSO) in order to address
internal security.

The military aspect of national security refers not just to
responses to military threats but the use of military instruments
to address broader security issues. A key aspect is securing our
territorial integrity as enshrined in our constitution.

“However, the complexity and intensity of the numerous security
challenges in the country have necessitated the involvement of the
armed forces to participate in aid of civil authority. This is
primarily due to the fact that the Nigeria Police Force has been
overstretched in containing most of the threat situations.

“The situation has caused a reduction in Nigeria’s troop
contribution to Peace Support Operations (PSO) in order to address
internal security concerns. Nonetheless, the major involvement of
the military has been the ongoing counter-terrorism and
counter-insurgency campaign in the North East,” he noted.

Disclosing the effects insecurity has had on the economy, he
said: “The activities of violent non-state actors especially
terrorists in the North East, armed bandits in the North West and
North Central as well as militants and sea robbers in the
South-South, continue to impact heavily on Nigeria’s economy.

“For instance, farming which provides livelihood for about 70
per cent of Nigeria’s population especially in the northern part of
the country has been disrupted by terrorism/insurgency in the area
thereby adversely affecting revenue generation in the agricultural
sector.

“Smuggling of prohibited items such as parboiled rice, poultry
and petroleum products has also taken its toll on the nation’s
economy. However, the remarkable monetary value of the seized items
during Operation SWIFT Response from August 20, 2019 till date,
currently stands at about N3.5 billion. The implication is that
funds meant for improving other sectors of the economy are
being channeled to address current and emerging security concerns,”
he lamented.

The Director General DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, in his welcome
address at the event held at the National Institute for Security
Studies in Abuja, appealed for synergy among the security
agents.
“We need synergy among the security agencies to confront the
challenges of insecurity because no single agency can do it alone.
There must synergy in intelligence gathering and sharing,” he
appealed.