By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi, Abuja

Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has charged security agencies in Nigeria to adopt a holistic and multifaceted approach to put an end to terrorism and violent crimes across the country.

Gaidam specifically pointed out that implementing the international standard and good practice of sound, modern, integrated, and cooperative border management would go a long way to addressing the threats of terrorism in the country.

The minister, according to a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry of Police Affairs, Bolaji Kazeem, spoke at the stakeholders conference on security with a theme: “A Path to Regional Cooperation” organized by the Ministry of Police Affairs in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and National Central Bureau, NCB in Abuja.

He urged all stakeholders present at the conference to work collaboratively towards a shared vision of security, saying “we can overcome these challenges and emerge as a beacon of stability and progress in Africa if all hands are put on deck.”

Gaidam said the conference was meant to deliberate on the way forward to achieving a stable regional security thereby focusing on strategies to strengthen collaboration among Interpol member countries in West Africa with a view to fostering partnerships to share intelligence, expertise and approaches for combating trans-border crimes.

The minister revealed that President Bola Tinubu administration had worked immensely to curb the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, bandits and other transnational crimes, listing some of the measures to include biometric system at border checkpoint, integration of data analytics into border security operations and deployment of surveillance drones along critical border regions.

He, however, observed that despite government’s efforts to end the menace of terrorism and violent extremism in the country, the threat posed by terrorism has risen significantly, adding that Nigeria was ranked 6th most impacted country globally according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index.

Gaidam said government’s efforts to mitigate insecurity include deploying the military, cooperating with international partners, implementing counter-terrorism legislation; adoption of a legal framework related to the West African Police Information System, WAPIS; provision of WAPIS terminals to allow security agencies access to critical information and establishment of National Criminal Data Fusion Center, NCDFC for the Nigerian Police Force.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman Police Service Commission, PSC, Hashimu Salisu, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, represented by the Director, Police Discipline in the commission, Ferdinand Uchechukwu Ekpe, stated that no nation could afford to stand alone in the face of threats and insurgency, noting that a secure and peaceful Nigerian state is necessary for a secure and prosperous West Africa and the entire ECOWAS market area.

Also, the Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) represented by the Director of Intelligence, Kennedy Zirangey stated that the conference came at the right time when the nation is faced with insecurity like terrorism, banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, community conflicts and myriads of other security challenges, noting that the catalyst behind these insecurity threats is drug usage by the foot soldiers.

Earlier, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by Deputy Inspector General Logistics and Supplies DIG A. A. Hamzat, said that the convergence of illicit drugs, small arms, and light weapons in the hands of criminal elements continues to fuel organized crime and extremism, adding that weak border enforcement mechanisms and fragmented intelligence sharing systems exacerbate the situation.