Yesterday’s appointment of a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as the National Security Adviser (NSA), appeared a strong pointer to President Bola Tinubu’s resolve to rejig the nation’s security apparatus by returning intelligence to the first line of defence – the police.
The world over, the police, being the first line of defence, is effectively in charge of security and intelligence, a situation which also brings the armed forces under its leadership in that respect, for the general security of the country.
Unfortunately, because Nigeria inherited security from the Army since her return to civil rule in 1999, succeeding administrations had been appointing the NSA from the military, a development that eventually normalised a palpable abnormality in the Nigerian context.
Sadly, for the police, which have had a good stint as NSA in time past, especially under the government of former President Shehu Shagari, who had Umaru Shinkafi – a distinguished police officer – as the NSA and that era was noted as outstanding in terms of intelligence and effective policing.
Also, under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, Gambo Jimeta, a former Inspector-General of Police, served as the NSA. In the same breath, Aliyu Isma’ila Gwarzo, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), served under both civilian and military leadership.
He served first under the late Chief Ernest Shonekan, who headed the Interim National Government (ING), and later, the General Sani Abacha junta.
The need for a non-military NSA has been underscored by their grasp of the relationship between the civilian and military territories, and how they stood out due to their recognition of the challenges undermining national security and their solutions, often off the top of their heads.
Put more succinctly, the NSA is considered a bridge between the president and the people. Although the National Security Agencies Act of 1986 seemed to have played that down, by dissolving the Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO) and established, in its place, three security agencies.
These agencies are the Defence Intelligence Agency, the National Intelligence Agency, and the State Security Service, with the president granted the authority to appoint a coordinator on National Security and the National Security Adviser, given the powers.
This is why the choice of a non-military candidate, in the person of Ribadu, who started as a Police Intelligence Officer and was involved in the crackdown of the Orkar Coup, among others such feats, has renewed hope of a possible reorganisation of the nation’s security apparatus.
Nigeria, no doubt, needs an intelligence-led security architecture as it was in the days of Shinkafi, MD Yusuf and co, and not the brute force of the last 24 years, identifiable with retired soldiers, often appointed into the office by past presidents.
For the record, the history of Nigeria’s intelligence services started with the eBranch and then NSO. It was after the Murtala Muhammed coup that things changed, with then military leadership taking full control of the intelligence.
Curiously, the last 24 years of democracy and years before military rule have proven the need to return to an intelligence-led security architecture.
Good news is, Ribadu is one of the few remaining men from that original intelligence training before the advent of the EFCC.
Besides, the nation’s security challenges have also exposed the fact that training and politics are different. Most of the military leaderships dreaded well-trained police intelligence officers in the original tradition of Mi5 and Mi6. Yet, that needs to be restored to the security architecture and enhance the police efforts across board – from intelligence to internal security.
There is no alternative to intelligence-led security apparatus as evidence abound around the world. In the US, for instance, it’s the FBI, CIA, and now NSA – all intelligence agencies, with the US State Dept to boot.
Perhaps, Nigerians should imagine all the Division Police Commands populated by intelligence officers with the right tech, do you still think bandits, kidnappers and terrorists stand any chance? Welcome to a genuine break from military rule.
