The dialogue held on Thursday in Abuja, focused on the theme ‘From Fear to Safety: Rethinking Security and Civic Responsibility in Nigeria’.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Chisom Okoli, Team Lead for Civic Talks, said community engagement with vigilante groups was crucial, describing them as the most accessible security structure in many communities.
Okoli said insecurity remained a pressing issue, adding that any perceived security threat should be reported to security personnel available in communities, especially vigilantes.
She emphasised that the protection of lives remained the major responsibility of government, which should provide mechanisms through which Nigerians could easily access reporting security situations.
According to her, effective communication between government and citizens is critical to protecting lives.
She expressed concern over reports of insecurity in Nigeria, ranging from kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, community attacks and ‘one chance’ vehicle crimes, which required urgent action.
Okoli said the initiative, Civic Talks, was designed to bring stakeholders together to discuss critical national challenges and proffer solutions that would guide policy advocacy and interventions.
Also speaking at the event, a security expert, retired Wing Cdr. Kelechi Ukanwa, emphasised the importance of a citizen-led intelligence network in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges, saying communities should establish early warning structures.
“Take the business of security personnel, neighbourhood policing and neighbourhood watch; it is good. Every citizen must have a security-conscious mind,” he said.
Ukanwa said communities must play an active role in improving security in their areas by addressing vulnerabilities such as poor lighting and mobilising volunteers to complement official security efforts.
He urged them not to work in silos but have a unified platform where they advocate for sustainable solutions to their security challenges using credible channels of communication with authorities.
He also urged leaders at all levels to demonstrate the courage to pursue proactive security initiatives, including measures to address the needs of vulnerable groups in communities, warning that neglecting them could have consequences for everyone.
CSP Alex Annagu, Divisional Police Officer, FCT Police Command, urged communities to have confidence in security agencies, saying the police remained committed to improving their operations through stakeholder engagement and service reforms.
Annagu acknowledged the important role of vigilante groups in community policing but said they must operate in collaboration with the police and under proper coordination to ensure effective security management.
According to him, security is a social contract that everybody has a role to play.
He urged citizens to see themselves as partners in security efforts and avoid actions that undermine safety, such as vandalising streetlights, reassuring them of police responsibility for safeguarding lives and property.
On his part, Nuhu Nga, a youth leader in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau, decried the loss of lives and livelihoods in the area, saying communities desire to return to their normal lives with the assurance of safety.
“We have lost 1,215 people from 2000 to 2026; 23,115 farms were destroyed, with 444 injured,” he said.
Nga said communities in the area lacked reporting mechanisms to provide first-hand information to the government when they received threats of attacks for urgent action.
Another discussant, Yakubu Mohammed, a conflict reporter with Premium Times, said every region in Nigeria had its peculiar security challenges, which the government has a poor understanding of, preventing it from developing sustainable solutions.
Mohammed emphasised the need to address the root causes of insecurity across different regions in Nigeria, which were mostly multifaceted, while calling for accountability in the implementation of previous interventions aimed at tackling security challenges. (NAN)
