Govt contributing to insecurity, says ex-IG Okiro

Former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, has directly accused the Federal Government of contributing to Nigeria's escalating insecurity by deliberately failing to equip the Nigeria Police Force. Okiro asserted that the government's actions have weakened the police, rendering them incapable of effectively tackling sophisticated criminal elements.

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The government, I would say, is contributing to insecurity itself. The police is the lead agency for internal security. But the government deliberately, I say deliberately, without any fear of contradiction, disarmed the police. The result is insecurity.

Speaking at a security dialogue in Abuja, the retired police chief emphasized that the police, as the lead agency for internal security, have been left without the necessary resources. "The government, I would say, is contributing to insecurity itself," Okiro stated, adding that the police have been "disarmed" without adequate replacements for equipment like communication gadgets and armored vehicles.

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We have passed the stage of a policeman walking the street with a baton. No more batons. The government should equip security agencies because they need equipment. They need communication gadgets, armoured vehicles and other operational tools.

Okiro also pointed to a significant lapse in personnel, citing a five-year period during his tenure as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (around 2013) when no recruitment occurred despite substantial losses through retirement and death. He noted that the force lost nearly 60,000 personnel without replacement, while many graduates remained unemployed.

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We found that for five years there was no recruitment into the police. The police lost 59,730 personnel to retirements, deaths and other causes without replacement.

Furthermore, the former IG criticized the lack of seamless coordination among security agencies. He advocated for improved intelligence sharing, suggesting that local commanders should communicate directly rather than relying on lengthy bureaucratic channels through Abuja, which he argued allows criminals to escape.

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When I was Inspector-General, I wrote a memo to the National Security Adviser that agencies should work together. If the DSS director in Mubi gets information, he should discuss it immediately with the Divisional Police Officer instead of sending reports through Abuja before action is taken.