The Federal Government has reiterated that citizens’ trust, effective intelligence sharing and strong community cooperation remain critical to ending the persistent attacks on security personnel across Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Olu Bankole, at the National Campaign Against the Killing of Security Operatives in Nigeria, organised by Societal Concerns Organisation, noted that the increasing targeting of men and women in uniform posed a grave threat to national security and public order.
He commended the summit convener, President Ambassador Oluwayomi Oluwapelumi and participants, stressing that successful security operations depended largely on public trust and cooperation.
The summit served as the grand finale of the Lagos and Ogun State editions of the campaign, bringing together government officials, security agencies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders for a high-level national security dialogue.
Speaking further, Rear Admiral Bankole gave assurance that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts in intelligence sharing, community policing, sustained public enlightenment and improved welfare for security personnel, warning that no amount of firepower or manpower could substitute for quality intelligence. He urged communities to see security agencies as partners rather than adversaries.
In his keynote address, Commander of the Mining Marshals, Attah John Onoja, described the campaign as “a solemn call to conscience, unity and decisive action,” noting that the killing of security operatives had become a disturbing national trend.
Onoja said attacks on security personnel were direct assaults on the Nigerian state, law and order, and the collective right of citizens to peace and stability. Drawing from his experience leading the Mining Marshals, a specialised force protecting Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, he linked the killings to wider criminal activities.
According to him, illegal mining, banditry, terrorism, arms proliferation and organised crime were interconnected threats that thrived where state authority was undermined, adding that attacks on operatives emboldened criminal networks.
“An attack on a security operative is an attack on Nigeria itself,” Onoja said, reminding participants that fallen officers were fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who chose service over safety.
He stressed that security was a shared responsibility, noting that no single agency, community or level of government could address the challenge alone. He pledged the commitment of the Mining Marshals to inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing and community engagement, describing local communities as the first line of intelligence.
Onoja also called for action beyond enforcement, urging stakeholders to confront misinformation, distrust, economic desperation and radicalisation, which he said fuel hostility towards security agencies. He appealed to the media, traditional institutions and young people to promote peace and reject violence.
Also speaking on behalf of the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Folusho Adeogun, said attacks on security personnel were deliberate attempts to weaken state authority and undermine public confidence.
He noted that officers across the country faced heightened risks while carrying out lawful duties, from border posts and highways to coastal patrols and urban operations. According to him, the proliferation of small arms, transnational crime, economic pressures and misinformation had increased threats, particularly in border communities and trade corridors.
Adeogun said Customs officers operated at critical points of national security and economic activity, adding that every seizure and interception represented a commitment to national interest, often at great personal risk. He stressed that protecting security personnel required deliberate investment in intelligence, training, technology, inter-agency collaboration and officer welfare, as well as strong community engagement and positive public perception.
“Negative narratives and hostility towards security agencies embolden criminals,” he said, reaffirming the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to improved operational support and collaboration with sister agencies.
Representing the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, SP Stephen Kuti said the dialogue addressed a critical national concern, the deliberate targeting of security personnel, which threatens state authority, public confidence and national stability.
According to him, security officers face growing risks nationwide from criminals, smugglers, violent extremists and other non-state actors, especially at borders, highways, ports and urban centres. He identified arms proliferation, transnational crime, economic pressures, misinformation and evolving criminal tactics as key drivers of the attacks.
Kuti stressed that protecting security personnel required concrete actions, including improved intelligence gathering, advanced training, modern technology, inter-agency collaboration, enhanced welfare and strong community engagement. He added that public perception remained crucial, noting that negative narratives emboldened criminal elements.
In her address as Convener, Ambassador Oluwayomi Oluwapelumi described the Abuja summit as the grand finale of the Lagos and Ogun State campaigns, noting that the initiative had grown from state-level engagements into a national movement against violence targeting security personnel.
She said the summit was convened not just for dialogue, but to produce practical outcomes, stressing that the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting would guide advocacy, policy engagement and coordinated action going forward.
As part of the organisation’s commitments, Oluwapelumi announced a pledge by Societal Concerns Organisation to donate surveillance drones to the Nigerian Forest Security Service, aimed at enhancing intelligence gathering, forest monitoring and early threat detection across vulnerable areas.
She emphasised that protecting security personnel was a collective national duty, calling on government, civil society, the media, traditional institutions and citizens to sustain the momentum generated by the campaign.
Other dignitaries at the event included Air Commodore Friday Bassey, Director of Logistics, Nigerian Air Force; Mrs Margret Yenami, Deputy Director representing the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency; Commander Bawa, Nigeria Forest Security Service, FCT Command; Mrs Aisha Immam, Lagos State Coordinator, Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association; Dr Yahuza Gerso, Managing Director of Eagle Integrated Security, Abuja, and other stakeholders.
The summit called for a strong consensus that security personnel are the number one citizens, an attack on any security operative is an attack on the nation, and that protecting those who protect Nigeria is fundamental to the country’s unity, sovereignty and future.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
