Stakeholders in Nigeria’s security architecture on Tuesday renewed calls for stronger institutional collaboration as a critical tool for counter-terrorism and crime control at a one-day inter-agency lecture and awards ceremony organised by Razornews in Lagos.
The conference, themed “Institutional Collaboration as a Tool for Counter-Terrorism and Crime,” was held at the Shoregate Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, and drew senior officers from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), among other security and safety institutions.
Delivering the keynote address, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Attah Onoja, Commander of Mining Marshal, stressed that no single agency could successfully combat Nigeria’s complex security challenges in isolation. He emphasised that emerging threats demand coordinated intelligence sharing, joint operations, and sustained partnerships across institutions.
Guest Speaker Dr. Bone Chinye Efoziem, Managing Director of Strict Guard Security Services, highlighted the growing importance of public-private partnerships in internal security, urging private security outfits and host communities to complement government efforts through intelligence gathering and early warning systems.
At the end of deliberations, participants issued a communique outlining key resolutions and policy directions. It underscored the urgent need for inter-agency collaboration in tackling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and smuggling.
The communique also called for the promotion of patriotism and nationalism among both state and non-state actors, stressing that insecurity transcends religion, tribe, and political affiliation. Greater roles were recommended for traditional institutions in community policing, with traditional rulers tasked to identify and report criminal elements within their domains.
The document further urged traditional leaders to manage community resources equitably to prevent food insecurity and related crimes, while cautioning against stigmatising non-indigenes as criminals.
In a major policy recommendation, the communique suggested that the Federal Government consider granting amnesty to armed bandits and terrorists willing to drop their weapons, alongside structured education for the largely illiterate population driving insecurity. It identified illicit funds, illegal arms, unemployment, and drug abuse as major drivers of criminality, while decrying the lack of political will to curb illegal mining of solid minerals, particularly gold in Zamfara, which it described as a major source of criminal funding.
Further recommendations included establishing tighter military-police synergy through a joint control centre for rapid response and strengthening police-community collaboration to enhance early intelligence gathering. The communique declared that security is no longer territory-centred but people-centric, and therefore security forces and non-state actors such as traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and religious leaders must be highly engaged in efforts to checkmate criminality in the country.
High-level contributions also came from His Imperial Majesty, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adewale Akanbi Telu I, who spoke on community-based peacebuilding and traditional conflict resolution; Rear Admiral O. A. Bankole (rtd), representing former Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa; and Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Olanrewaju Moshood Jimoh, representing IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
The royal father emphasised the need for traditional institutions to remain central to grassroots security management, while the military and police representatives reaffirmed the commitment of the armed forces and police to deeper inter-agency cooperation.
The summit concluded with the presentation of awards to deserving officers and members of the public in recognition of their outstanding service and contributions to national security.
