By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
The Department of Sociology, University of Lagos (UNILAG), on Thursday hosted the 2023 Annual Lecture/Master of Criminology maiden interactive session to address security challenges in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme, which had the theme: “Revamping Nigeria’s Security Architecture for 21st Century Realities” held at the UNILAG FSS Main Auditorium and had security experts as speakers.
Prof. Franca Attoh, the Head, Department of Sociology, UNILAG, in her remark said the 21st century opened with the manifestation of terrorism with a global reach in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in the U.S.
Attoh said that at the national level, Nigeria was faced with security challenges that constituted threat to lives and properties, hindered business activities and discouraged investment.
According to her, the 21st century has also witnessed diverse forms of insecurity including drug, human trafficking, cross border crimes and smuggling.
The departmental head said that this compelled the department to bring together some best minds to engage on this problem and point the way forward.
“In more recent times, Nigeria has recorded unprecedented security challenges such as militancy, terrorism as witnessed in the N/East, banditry/kidnapping, armed robbery, religious and ethnic extremism, cultism and ritual killings.
“Other forms of criminality includes cyber-crime, organ harvesting, while the other forms of crimes are getting more sophisticated and complicated for the criminal justice system, despite the efforts of successive government to curb crime and criminality.
“Some scholars have tried to question why crime is difficult to deal with in Nigeria, it is on that note that the department organised this lecture,” she added.
Attoh declared that the lecture was deliberately fixed at this time when a new government had just been ushered in to gather insights from experts, which would be processed and issued in form of a communique and handed over to the new government.
Meanwhile, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, the Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, who was represented by Prof. Olufunlayo Bammeke, applauded the organisers, expressing optimism that the resolutions would offer solutions to move the nation forward.
Earlier, Femi Falana (SAN), one of the speakers, said that it was fundamental for the government to provide welfare for the people as a measure of intensifying the nation’s security architecture.
According to him, by virtue of section 14 , sub-section 2 of the constitution, the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government.
Falana said that this encapsulated the entire discussion of the day.
“You cannot talk of security architecture if you cannot address the welfare of the people, you cannot be talking of physical security without addressing social security which is more important.
” Because if the people are poor, frustrated, they are going to take to crime, and once people are forced to criminality, there is no way you can talk of security,” he said.
Falana tasked the university community to lead the society, describing the institution as a ‘Centre of Ideas’, he urged it to look for solutions to the problems confronting the society.
He expressed the hope that the UNILAG Department of Sociology was key to the discussion.
Another Speaker, Fatai Owoseni, a retired Commissioner of Police (CP), said in spite of diverse efforts to tackle insecurity, there was the need to do more, in capacity and capability to appraise what had been on ground in carrying out internal security.
Owoseni advocated for the practice of Integrated Security Architecture (ISA), saying that a framework should be put in place in which people at the grassroots would be incorporated into the country’s security architecture to interface seamlessly.
“We have been doing community policing, having vigilante but all those are held loose and so with ISA, you’ll be able to integrate the non-state actors and get it right.
“The non-state actors such the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), the Agbekoyas, the Soluderos, students and the market women group should be integrated into the security architecture.
“This will enable the security apparatus we have to get to all nooks and cranny of this country,” Owoseni said.
Also, Mrs Tanwa Ashiru, CEO, Bulwark Intelligence, said that technology such as force multiplayer should be brought to bear to address security challenges faced by the nation.
Ashiru explained that technology enhanced solutions provided, adding that there was need to leverage on it.
“Technology such as camera, drone can survey a place further and beyond where eyes can capture.”
According to her, the nation needs to start engaging youths into intra-agency law enforcement, training them on how to tackle and resolve cyber crimes.
Ashiru stressed that the world was moving forward and the nation could not allow itself to be left behind.
“This is most important in the 21st century, especially as we are moving into digital economy.
“We need to make ensure that we’re building the capacity of Nigerians, especially the youths, they’re very good with technology,” she added.
On his part, Babajide Otitoju, Group Head, Current and Public Affairs, TVC News, described the programme as a very rewarding exercise.
He said the solution to the problems of insecurity in the country had been provided.
Otitoju tasked the new administration to settle down and find solutions to the biggest problem faced in the country being insecurity.
“President Bola Tinubu must know that if he does not attack insecurity frontally and achieve his aim of keeping our communities and nation safer.
“No matter what he does, Nigerians will not be convinced that he has performed as a president. He has to defeat insecurity before he will be seen as someone who has solved their problems,
“Our immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari did well, he tried in terms of infrastructure but he’ll be more remembered for number of deaths that were recorded while he was president.
“Therefore, the new president must avoid those pitfalls and get our security right,” he added.
According to him, there were multiple areas of solutions already provided, so the organisers needed to avail the government with all that had been offered to enable it find workable ideas.
Otitoju noted that security challenges in the country was not insurmountable, but the government must resolve to make the communities safer and stop the bloodletting happening across the country.
Other speakers at the session included Mr Kola Olugbodi, CEO, Background Check International (BCI) and Davidson Akhimien, CEO, King David Security Limited.