As Nigerians and governments at all levels continue to struggle with insecurity in various ramifications countrywide, it has become clear that one-size-fits-all solutions do not work, but governments must be very versatile to address the challenges holistically. While encouraging the armed forces in battle against terrorists, it is worthwhile to examine factors, such as lack of education opportunities, poverty, and dearth of jobs for school leavers, underlying the proliferation and sustenance of crime.
 
Sometime back, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, ruled out any possibility of the Nigerian government engaging foreign mercenaries in the fight against insurgency and other security challenges facing the country. Mr Tuggar explained that the current administration does not believe foreign forces hold out any hope of solving the myriad security problems different parts of the country have been contending with. Rather, the government intends to partner with China in the local production of military equipment to avoid delays associated with procuring foreign equipment.
 
Without doubt, various countermeasures deployed by successive governments have failed to frontally solve violent security challenges that directly threaten Nigeria’s territorial integrity, political stability, and economic growth. Notwithstanding, Nigeria is inherently imbued with the military, political, economic, and human capacity to combat insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping. Consequently, foreign mercenaries, while they might not be the best solution to the multifaceted security challenges pervading the entire federation, they also serve as an alternative.
 
Not only would engaging foreign fighters amount to passing a vote of no confidence in the armed forces, but might also further expose the country to a greater risk. Mercenaries are paid professionals – they work for and are motivated by monetary considerations! They do not owe allegiance to their clients and can even connive with adversaries to sabotage their clients. Therefore, the position adopted by the government in this regard is apposite. The government might need to rethink this position by weighing its merits as well as the chances of decimating the criminals threatening Nigeria’s sovereignty.
 
The central concern is why violent crimes have become intractable in Nigeria despite the humongous yearly security votes. Why is the government seemingly failing in its primary responsibility to protect and safeguard the citizens? The prevailing crime rate is alarmingly high and has put Nigerians in a state of palpable fear. Indeed, insecurity has significantly hindered agricultural activities and slowed down economic growth. So, what is the way forward?
 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his Renewed Hope Action Plan, covenanted to “establish a bold and assertive policy that will create a strong yet adaptive national security architecture and action to obliterate terror, kidnapping, banditry, and all other forms of violent extremism from the face of the nation.” To achieve this, Mr President pledged to: set up Anti-Terrorist Battalions (ABATTS) to neutralise terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits; upgrade tactical communications and weapons systems; and re-energise the armed forces to align with global standards. Nigerians await the manifestations of these pledges amid unrelenting security challenges.
 
Nigeria has consistently ranked low in the Global Peace Index (GPI), signifying a worsened state of insecurity. With an index score of 2.9, Nigeria ranked 147 out of 197 peaceful independent states and territories in 2024. This implies that Nigeria is one of the leading unsafe countries in the world. Therefore, the government must strengthen national security assets to curtail terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other ferocious felonies. The military arsenal should consist of advanced surveillance devices and weaponry capable of detecting and eliminating existing and potential security threats. Our borders, especially in the Northern region, should be adequately secured to prevent the infiltration of criminal elements into the country.
 
Similarly, the country’s internal security system should be modernised and digitised for efficiency. The modus operandi of Nigerian law enforcement agencies is still largely conventional – some of them do not have basic digital tools. For instance, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) mostly relies on private trackers or sister agencies to carry out expansion and tracking of suspects. Therefore, a digital (tactical) squad comprising highly trained tech-savvy operatives is recommended for all government-owned security outfits.
 
Further, Nigeria’s criminal justice system is weak in structure and needs to be overhauled. Many key players, such as investigators, prosecutors, adjudicators, and executors, are either incompetent or corrupt, or both. Ordinarily, government institutions are expected to finance their activities from their budgetary allocations. However, in practice, criminal investigation and prosecution are funded by victims or nominal complainants, thereby denying indigent people access to justice.
 
The government at all levels has not demonstrated sufficient seriousness in punishing vicious criminals.  Beyond bland statements periodically issued by government agencies, there is no public record of any Boko Haram terrorist who has been tried and jailed in the country. Instead, the government ‘pardoned’ insurgents and reintegrated them into society on a gold platter! Incredibly, a plea bargain negotiation is being contemplated between a notorious kidnapper and a state government.
 
Another fundamental driver of the extant high crime rate is poverty! Research has shown that the prevalence and incidence of poverty invariably culminate in tremendous security challenges. It is ironic that despite Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, a staggering 130 million Nigerians (representing 63 per cent of the nation’s population) are multidimensionally poor.
 
The harsh economic realities have exposed the vulnerable to the manipulations of criminal cabals. As a scholar noted: “Insecurity manifests in different forms, and cannot be separated from the activities of the large army of unemployed and underemployed people in the country. Those who do not have means of livelihood readily take to criminal activities to survive, or turn their anger against society.”
 
The government must mobilise the totality of its national security, military, and law enforcement assets to make the country safe and protect all Nigerians from danger. Additionally, the saboteurs of the criminal justice system should be held accountable. Importantly, the government at both the federal and state levels should urgently churn out economic policies to reverse the economic and social hardship Nigerians are facing.