Former Chief of Army Staff (CAS) and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd), has stated that Kinetic approach alone was inadequate in addressing the nation’s security challenges.
General Dambazau, spoke on Tuesday in a Keynote Address at the 7th Annual Public Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN), held at Bolingo Hotel, Abuja, with the theme, “Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Quest for National Cohesion: A New Paradigm for Internal Security Architecture.”
This edition of the Lecture was organised to douse the heightened public concern over Nigeria’s internal security crisis and the search for lasting solutions to terrorism, communal conflicts, and organized crime.
Speaking, Dambazau emphasized the need for more focus on human security which addresses threats such as poverty, illiteracy, disease, unemployment, corruption, and environmental degradation.
Issues, he said, could not be resolved by military force alone but by effective governance and social investment. Noting that security must be approached from a comprehensive and holistic perspective.
“While military security remains state-centric, human security is fundamentally people centric. Military security is primarily concerned with protecting a nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty against external threats, typically using armed forces and defence strategies.
“Being state-centric, it focuses on safeguarding the state from military aggression, invasion, or armed conflict. In contrast, human security is people-centric and encompasses a broader range of concerns. It emphasizes the protection of individuals’ lives, properties, and overall well-being,” he said.
The former Minister lamented that despite increased budgetary allocations and the deployment of military resources across all geopolitical zones since 1999, the anticipated improvements in security have remained elusive. Disclosing that only about 40% of the security budget is released by the federal government.
He said even when investments are made in security, lack of sincerity in implementation is a challenge.
According to him, Nigeria is confronted with a range of complex security challenges that demand a robust and adaptive internal security architecture.
He listed some of the key drivers of insecurity in Nigeria to include, poverty, unemployment, hunger, disease, and illiteracy. Others are: poor governance, inadequate welfare for security personnel, insufficient coordination among security agencies and underdeveloped criminal justice institutions.
“Additional factors, such as limited legislative oversight, corruption, inconsistent enforcement of law and order, an overstretched military, misallocated police resources, underutilized civil defence units, and the absence of a comprehensive strategy for rural security, further exacerbate the situation,” Dambazau said.
Addressing these multifaceted issues, according to him, requires a coordinated approach involving government agencies, community leaders, and regional and international partners. Military solutions alone are insufficient; a multidimensional strategy that incorporates social, economic, and governance reforms is essential for sustainable security in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Air Vice Marshal (AVM), Gbolahan Adekunle (Rtd), said an all nation approach should be adopted for national security.
He submitted that the frequent retirement of young trained officers should also be adequately addressed, as some could still be useful to the country in several capacities.
He lamented that over N100 million is spent to train just one soldier and after six years he is retired without using the knowledge gained adequately for the country.
AVM Adekunle urged the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to do more sensitizing the public on the role to play in advancing national security.
He also said the nation’s youth should be properly guided and engaged to avoid drugs, which is fueling insecurity in the country.
On his part, the Executive Director of Development Specs, and Training Partner of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, called for collaboration among all stakeholders to address the security challenges in the country.
He also called for cultural sensitivity when addressing security issues across the country.
Earlier, the JFCN President, Mr Fred Ohwahwa, noted that the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN) has, since its inception in 2013, stood for social good, civic responsibility, and national progress, having the consciousness that dialogue, awareness, and collective engagement are key to addressing pressing issues.
He explained that the event was part of the club’s continued commitment to fostering informed conversations that contribute to the peace and development of Nigeria.
“Nigeria continues to face multifaceted security challenges: insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, and cyber threats, among others.
“Just last week, the President of the United States warned us to put our house in order, otherwise he would send troops to invade our land.
“Of course, the reason for this is, at best, dubious. Some of us are acutely aware of America’s meddlesomeness in the affairs of other countries in the past one hundred years or more. However, let us put our house in order so that they will have no excuse to come over here.
“Our inability to tackle banditry, kidnapping and many security challenges doesn’t speak well of us as a serious nation. We can do better.
“These challenges not only affect our national stability but also undermine development, education, and the well-being of our citizens. It is against this backdrop that today’s lecture becomes imperative,” he said.
The event was held under the distinguished Chairmanship of Professor Tonnie Iredia, former Director General of Nigerian Television Authority and founder of Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City.
