A retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ade Ajakaiye, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to focus on strengthening the Nigeria Police Force rather than creating a new Homeland Security Office.
It would be recalled that Tinubu had approved the appointment of Major General Adeyinka Fadadewa (Rtd) as Special Adviser on Homeland Security.
Ajakaiye said the establishment of the office by the Federal Government was unnecessary, warning that it could further expand security bureaucracy without addressing the fundamental problems confronting existing institutions.
In a statement titled: “Creation of Homeland Security: Strengthening the Nigeria Police, Not Expanding Bureaucracy,” the retired police chief argued that Nigeria already has several security agencies responsible for maintaining internal security and intelligence gathering.
According to him, agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Armed Forces and other paramilitary bodies already perform critical security responsibilities.
He maintained that the country’s major challenge was not the absence of security agencies but the weakness of existing institutions.
“The Nigeria Police Force, which should serve as the backbone of internal security, has for decades suffered from under-funding, inadequate training, poor welfare, corruption and lack of modern equipment,” he stated.
Ajakaiye noted that successive administrations had continued to create new agencies instead of reforming and strengthening the police.
He warned that the Homeland Security Office could create duplication of duties and worsen inter-agency rivalry and operational conflicts already affecting Nigeria’s security architecture.
“With all these agencies already in place, many Nigerians are asking what exactly the Homeland Security Office will do differently,” he said.
The former AIG stressed that strengthening the police through better funding, recruitment, training and technology would produce more meaningful results in tackling insecurity.
He also called for greater investment in intelligence gathering, forensic laboratories, digital crime tracking systems and community policing initiatives.
According to him, poor welfare conditions, including inadequate salaries, housing and healthcare, have negatively affected police performance and professionalism.
He further argued that creating another office at a time of economic hardship, rising inflation and growing public debt could place additional financial burdens on government.
Ajakaiye said effective security management depends more on professionalism, coordination and accountability than on the proliferation of agencies.
He urged the Federal Government to prioritise comprehensive police reform capable of restoring public confidence and improving national security.
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