From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Kukah Centre has held a stakeholders’ engagement on improving community security initiatives in Kaduna, with a focus on brainstorming solutions to insecurity in Nigeria.
Established by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, the centre aims to enhance citizen engagement and promote inclusive dialogue for peace in the country.
Project Manager, Mr. Terser Bamber, explained that the project seeks to review laws establishing sub-national security outfits like the Kaduna Vigilante Service (KADVS), Sokoto Community Guard Corps, and Benue State Community Protection Guard. “The idea is to review the laws that established these security outfits with the view to identify limitations and gaps and come up with a robust framework that can address these issues,” he said.
The meeting of the centre in Kaduna focused on the activities of KADVS as pilot project.
“The journey of 1000 miles begins with a step. This is our first point of call and of course, this is like a pilot for the project. We hope that by the time we finished the implementation of this, we are able to learn lesson, we will improve our implementation strategy and then we are ready to move into more States. But hopefully, what we have started here can become a national discourse.
“We are doing this because we are worried about insecurity. We want to have structures both conventional and sub national security outfits which are to confront these challenges and we hope that by strengthening them, they are able to address these challenges to have a safer Nigeria,” Mr. Bamber said
Stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, security agencies, and civil society organizations, raised concerns about the security outfits in Benue, Kaduna, and Sokoto.
Some of the concerns include of insufficient funds, Lack of modus operandi, Rules of engagement may have limitations, Lack of jurisdiction to operate, Lack of proper training and equipment.
“The security outfits must be properly legislated, and operations must be within the ambit of the law,” one stakeholder noted. Others emphasized the need for standard operating procedures, regular salaries, and proper training to prevent abuse of power and corruption.
Mr. Bamber highlighted the importance of stakeholder input, saying, “We invited stakeholders to this meeting because they understand the security outfits better. Their inputs are valuable, and we will take them into account during the review process and implementation.”
The stakeholders also suggested that the security outfits should bear arms, as it’s unrealistic to expect them to fight criminals without proper equipment. Additionally, they emphasized the need for community engagement on sports and other activities to boost confidence and address issues like gender-based violence.
“The Kukah Centre’s initiative aims to strengthen sub-national security outfits and make them more efficient and effective in addressing security challenges. By doing so, the centre hopes to contribute to a safer Nigeria.
“As the project progresses, the Kukah Centre plans to learn from the pilot project and improve its implementation strategy. The goal is to expand the initiative to more states and potentially create a national discourse on community security.
“The stakeholders’ engagement marked an important step towards addressing insecurity in Nigeria. With the Kukah Centre’s efforts, there is hope for a safer and more secure future for the country”. Mr. Bamber added.