As Nigeria marked its 66th Independence Anniversary, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG Frank Mba, has warned that criminals are evolving faster than the country’s policing system, raising fresh concerns over national insecurity.
Mba, now a legal practitioner, security consultant and reputation management expert, said the increasing sophistication, technological capability and borderless nature of crime in Nigeria demand an urgent upgrade of the nation’s security architecture.
According to him, criminality in the country has shifted dramatically from conventional offences such as robbery, burglary and assault, which were largely physical and localised, to highly organised, technology-driven operations.
“Crime has become more organised, globalised, more technology-driven, financially sophisticated and, in many cases, virtual, contactless and borderless,” Mba said.
He noted that globalisation and technological advancement have become major enablers for criminals, fueling the expansion of kidnapping, terrorism, cultism, organised crime and cyber-enabled offences.
Mba stated: “Criminals are no longer relying solely on conventional methods, but are increasingly exploiting technology, globalisation and sophisticated financial systems to perpetrate crimes.”
He warned that traditional policing methods can no longer cope with the current threat landscape.
“Policing can no longer depend solely on physical operations and traditional investigative methods,” he said, adding that modern crime fighting requires technology, intelligence, digital forensics, cyber tools, advanced financial investigation capabilities, citizens’ trust and stronger international cooperation.
The former police spokesman acknowledged that the Nigeria Police Force has made significant progress in responding to the changing security environment, citing the work of the National Cybercrime Centre in tackling cyber-enabled offences.
He also highlighted increased collaboration between the NPF and international organisations, including INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, particularly in intelligence sharing and advanced training in the investigation of terrorism, money laundering, human and narcotics trafficking and other transborder crimes.
Mba further noted that training programmes for police personnel are being modified to reflect emerging realities, with greater emphasis on cybercrime investigation, digital forensics, financial crime, intelligence and counter-terrorism.
“These developments show that Nigeria’s policing architecture has evolved positively in significant ways,” he said.
However, he questioned whether the evolution was fast enough.
“The criminals are not waiting for the police,” Mba warned, stressing that the speed, spread, lethality, cyber capabilities and sophistication of criminal activities continue to pose serious challenges to the crime-fighting efforts of the Nigeria Police Force.
He identified inadequate training and shortage of up-to-date digital forensic tools as major operational gaps requiring urgent attention.
Mba called for sustained investment in the Nigeria Police Force, particularly in personnel, specialised training, technology, intelligence capabilities and international partnerships.
“The police must deliberately continue to evolve with changing technology and crime trends, to stay ahead of criminals rather than merely responding to emerging threats,” he said.
He also stressed the need for the Force to rebuild public trust, describing citizens’ confidence as critical to effective policing.
“Ultimately, the NPF leadership should remain futuristic. Our police officers should be prepared, not just for the crimes they are fighting today, but for the crimes that will emerge tomorrow,” Mba added.
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