If anyone is in doubt as to why the security situation in Nigeria is worsening daily, he or she should appraise the level of inter-agency cooperation among Nigeria’s security agencies and paramilitary units. We make bold to say that the deterioration in inter-agency cooperation contributed to the high level of banditry, insurgency, and other forms of terrorism being meted out to Nigeria and Nigerians presently, and if this trend is not reversed, the corporate existence of this country will be further threatened.
Inter-agency cooperation is highly essential in the provision of security services anywhere in the world. This is because each security apparatus has its area of competence, and it becomes important for the nation’s security architecture to leverage each other’s strengths to overcome the gaps that criminals are out to exploit.
Whenever there is a mutual collaboration among a country’s security agencies, such a country becomes impregnable and formidable. Little wonder why security formations in countries such as the United States, Russia, Israel, and the United Kingdom command so much international prestige.
Why will a military or police officer wilfully disobey the rules of the land, and when challenged, rather than show remorse, resort to the use of force
Whereas the majority of the top echelons of Nigeria’s security outfits were and are trained in the aforementioned countries, it is surprising that the specter of inter-agency clashes has become rampant in the country nowadays. This may not be unconnected to the unwillingness of the leadership of Nigeria’s security agencies to replicate and domesticate some of the global best practices acquired in their sojourns overseas at home. This is already having a direct bearing on the worsening security situation in Nigeria.
Clashes have occurred between the army and police. On other occasions, the duel was between the police versus road safety corps or the army and police versus other paramilitary agencies in the country. The frequency of these ignoble clashes speaks volumes of the deterioration in deterioration in communication and cooperation among Nigeria’s security units.
In November 2021, the Nigerian army raised an alarm on how police officers involved in joint operations with military personnel brutalised the latter leading to the death of army personnel. According to the leaked memo, it was the issue of superiority that caused the clash between Nigerian troops and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force. This fractious relationship will impair the extent of cooperation and collaboration the Nigerian army will extend to the Nigeria Police and other sister security agencies in the country.
In March 2021, there was also a feud between soldiers and police officers in the Kuje area of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Meanwhile in 2019, while attempting to arrest the most wanted kidnapper as of that time, Hamisu Bala Wadume, the troops of the 93 Battalion, Takun, Taraba State opened fire on police personnel leading to the death of some of the best detectives in Nigeria.
A few days ago, an overzealous policeman harassed and handcuffed an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) over the enforcement of traffic offenses. Even when the policeman knew that driving along the Bus Rapid Transit corridor was illegal, the LASTMA official was taken to Sabo Police Station in handcuffs.
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Again in December 2021, a female LASTMA official was attacked by some police officers who violated traffic rules. There are other instances of Nigeria Police officers and military personnel attacking officials of paramilitary agencies for enforcing the mandate they were constitutionally set up to enforce.
The pertinent question is: Why will a military or police officer wilfully disobey the rules of the land, and when challenged, rather than show remorse, resort to the use of force thereby inflicting injuries on members of other agencies? It is either the laws that govern the activities of military personnel, police and other paramilitary officials are not strong enough or that there are laws, only that there are no men to enforce them.
The direct and indirect costs of indiscipline among Nigerian security personnel are enormous. First, indiscipline hinders their product delivery. Second, criminals easily penetrate such security architecture, and consequently, both the security personnel and civilians pay the supreme price of a weakened security architecture.
Going by the level of training the top echelons of the Nigerian army, police and other agencies have received in years past and recently, it is not late for the security agencies in this country to sheath their swords and work for the interest of Nigeria by enhancing the collaboration and cooperation amongst them. Both the security personnel and civilians will even have their own lives endangered when collaboration is lacking amongst Nigerian security agencies. It is therefore in the Interest of everybody for a substantial level of cohesion to occur between and among our various security agencies. There must be an end to this self-destructive and needless internecine war. Espirit De Corps should be the watchword.
