The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, met on Thursday in Abuja to discuss measures to strengthen Nigeria’s security and ensure the safety of citizens nationwide.
Musa paid a courtesy visit to Tunji-Ojo’s office, where the two leaders examined ways to enhance collaboration between internal and external security agencies.
“This visit shows that you are bringing your experience to bear and that the internal and external security agencies must become one by working together,” Tunji-Ojo said.
“Our thoughts are well aligned, and we understand that security is a combination of internal and external; hence, if the internal agencies do the needful, the military wouldn’t be overstretched.
“We have no choice but to work together; working in silence is never in the interest of the nation, as this is not the time to be territorial,” he added.
The Minister of Interior acknowledged that while Nigeria’s security challenges are not at their worst, exaggeration and public perception have sometimes caused concern.
“A safe border is a safe nation. If you can’t protect your border, you can’t guarantee the safety of the nation.
“My dream for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is not for them to do what the Police are doing but to be a specialised agency true to its mandate.
“We are not here to compete with the Police or military but to complement them and offer support to ensure there is a robust handshake between the agencies,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He also highlighted the importance of data management, calling for effective information sharing to enhance the efforts of all security agencies.
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The Minister of Defence commended the Ministry of Interior for its role in maintaining internal security.
“I commend the ministry for the great work done, as security is critical to the development of Nigeria because without security there is no development,” he said.
He added that no organisation has a monopoly on information, underlining the importance of collaboration.
“If we continue to work in synergy, there will be significant results. With my return, we will work very closely.
“It’s important we leverage technology for intelligence sharing between the defence and interior agencies.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has a lot to do with intelligence, as we can gather information from many of the inmates,” he said.
Gen. Musa proposed establishing a combined technical committee of internal and external security agencies to meet quarterly on national security matters and recommended a shared database to strengthen public safety.
“Many countries are dealing with asymmetric conflicts, and that does not stop tourists, so why should we? That’s why we need to work more.
“Paramilitary agencies face these criminals directly, and if you are not well prepared, you can’t win. We cannot continue to lose our men in the bid to protect the nation,” he concluded.