ENDING INSECURITY AND PROCURING SECURITY IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA by Dr K A Familoni

 ENDING INSECURITY AND PROCURING SECURITY IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA 

by 

K .A Familoni.

Nigeria may be at the edge of another civil war which is being gradually and  methodically waged by the Fulani Bororo herdsmen with the support of Miyetti Allah and other powerful figures from the northern part of the country.

If this observation is correct, it follows that people should not and cannot afford to wait for government to defend their roads, highways, forests and farmlands which have already been invaded and penetrated by Herdsmen who are well armed with weapons obtained from the civil war in Libya, the Tuareg insurgency in Mali and Boko Haram terrorism in Northeastern Nigeria.

The strategy to end this state of insecurity is simple and this we have been advocating since the beginning of the current phase of the Farmers/Herdsmen Conflicts, long before the formation of Amotekun, the Western Nigeria Security Network.

Each Local Government Area(LGA) needs to establish a Community Security Force(CSF) that is well equipped with both modern and traditional means and weapons of warfare. Also, each LGA CSF should have a major Division comprised of a crack team of AgroRangers/Forest Guards for continuous surveillance and patrol of forests and farmlands in the LGA. If, when and where necessary, the CSF can work collaboratively with the Federal Government’s security agencies with presence in the locality but it should be an independent body managed by and responsible to the local leaders of the LGA or Community. The CSF should also be responsible for patrolling roads and highways in its area of coverage.

Once political/security will has been summoned, the CSF can function not only as a defensive force but also a deterrent with the capability of ending insecurity and criminality while also procuring peace, stability and security in each of the LGAs in Southern Nigeria as well as Northern Nigeria.

Thus, this CSF model should be implemented in all regions of the country, with minor modifications wherever necessary, to prevent any further destabilization or terrorization of any region or community in the country. 

Since it is highly dysfunctional, unproductive and undesirable to instigate another civil war in the country, given the disastrous consequences of the 1967-1970 Civil War, this CSF model deserves urgent consideration since its sincere implementation is capable of preventing a breakdown of law and order and a descent into chaos and anarchy.

K. A. Familoni, PhD.

Up Nigeria 🇳🇬 

February 8, 2021.