A security expert, Yahuza Getso, has advocated for the formal integration of vigilante groups and other community-based security outfits into Nigeria’s security framework.
He said such groups possess vital local knowledge that could help tackle insecurity in rural communities.
Getso made the call in an interview with LEADERSHIP in Kano.
He said vigilantes should be identified, screened, trained and equipped under the supervision of the police, the military and the Department of State Services (DSS) to enhance grassroots security.
The expert stressed that when government takes advantage of local security structures already operating in communities, with a closer collaboration between formal and informal security actors, it would improve intelligence gathering and strengthen the fight against criminal groups across the country.
On the growing reliance of rural communities on vigilante and self-help groups, he said the development was largely a result of inadequate government security presence in many parts of the country.
According to him, security agencies are overstretched and lack the manpower needed to effectively confront bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal groups operating across the country.
“Each divisional police office could profile vigilante and local security groups, conduct background checks on them and ensure that there are arms and equipment in their hands under the watch of the DSS, the police and the military.
“They can work together because these local security groups know the routes, the geographical terrain and the communities better than anyone else,” he said.
The security expert noted that many vigilante groups currently operate with crude weapons while criminals often possess sophisticated firearms, making it difficult for local defenders to effectively protect their communities.
He also identified corruption, poor welfare for security personnel, inadequate logistics and weak intelligence utilisation as major factors fueling insecurity.
Getso lamented that many security operatives lacked adequate operational resources, including vehicles and motorcycles, to respond swiftly to distress calls, especially in remote communities with poor road networks.
He further accused local authorities of failing to take security challenges seriously, arguing that many local government officials focus more on their personal security than on protecting residents.
The expert however called for a comprehensive strategy to address the country’s security challenges, including tackling corruption, curbing arms proliferation, improving border security and strengthening intelligence gathering as well as reforms in the judiciary and greater accountability within government institutions and security agencies.