On Nigeria Customs, DIA Collaboration Against Insecurity
By Abdulsalam Mahmud,
The insecurity in Nigeria is pervasive, and everyone knows that. From Abuja to Lagos, Jigawa to Zamfara, Imo to Anambra States, Nigerian citizens have been living in perpetual fear of attacks by marauding terrorists, merciless bandits, and blood-sucking gunmen that have remained unknown for years now.
Therefore, sleeping with their two eyes closed has become difficult, even for those residing in the nation’s capital – Abuja – which recently became the hotbed for daredevil kidnappers. The statistics about Nigeria’s insecurity are damn grim and frightening. There is no point reeling them out.
At the moment, Nigeria’s stability and development, as a nation, is being threatened by rampaging insecurity. It is even sad that our security agencies and the Nigerian Military, individually appear not to have the magic wand for the nation’s security challenges.
But globally, achieving success in war against terror and violent crimes, demands the collective efforts of key stakeholders. For security agencies, having a robust synergy and inter-agency collaboration among themselves, is essential. The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA, even consider it sacrosanct.
Hence, the management of the two agencies recently held a meeting at the NCS Corporate Headquarters. It was for them to brainstorm on strategies to tackle the country’s security woes, while forging a strong working relations between the Nigeria Customs and DIA.
The Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, while speaking at the forum, noted that the primary objective of the collaboration is to maintain and deepen the existing relationships between NCS and the DIA.
He emphasized that NCS believes in partnership, stating that cooperation with other Customs administrations and government agencies is a fundamental aspect of growth.
Adeniyi highlighted some ways in which they have collaborated, particularly in the areas of capacity building and security projects. “The major objective of this delegation is to maintain and deepen the relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and the DIA.
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“For the records, the Nigeria Customs Service believes in collaboration. We believe that we can draw strength from collaborating with other government agencies,” he stated. “We have extensively worked with the Armed Forces Command and Staff College to rebuild the capacity of our officers in the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College.
“Additionally, I have personally worked on collaborative security projects in the past, such as the Security Impact Collaboration,” he added.
The Customs Chief expressed a desire for deeper partnership with the DIA, particularly in the area of more robust intelligence sharing, which, according to him, would enable the two agencies to address significant security challenges across the border areas and enhance the efficiency of Customs officers.
“It is our strong desire to deepen this kind of partnership to ensure that we benefit more from it,” he said.
Addressing the CGC, Air Vice Marshal Samuel Chinda, Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence who represented Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Parker, described the collaboration with the NCS as integral to their successes in combating border threats.
Speaking on the need to include officers in various intelligence training, AVM Chinda recalled how the Nigerian Armed Forces Command and Staff College contributed to enhancing the proficiency of Customs Officers.
“We are here to reinvigorate these relationships for future collaborations. Particularly, the Defence Intelligence Agency is open to partnerships in training and operations with the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.
Indeed, the collaboration between the NCS and DIA is not going to be enough for the war against insecurity to be a resounding success. The government should also intervene, by boosting its investment in warfare technology for our security agencies.
In the same vein, there should be adequate training and equipping of security operatives. Doing so is imperative to enhance their operational effectiveness and responsiveness. Another thing the federal government must prioritise is long-term solutions, that will address the root causes of insecurity.
To this end, security studies should be integrated into the national educational curriculum, from primary to tertiary levels. Doing so, equally, will help to instill a culture of security consciousness and civic responsibility among our youths.
It is time Nigeria heave a sigh of relief from her asphyxiating security problems. Luckily, what is required is just a holistic and multifaceted approach that encompasses effective governance, community engagement, strategic coordination among security agencies, and long-term investments in education and socio-economic development. Nothing more!
*Mahmud is the Deputy Editor of PRNigeria, and can be reached via: [email protected].*
