NGE’s timely advice on enhancing security

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has charged the country’s security agencies to step up intelligence gathering and be proactive in handling security challenges currently facing the country. The NGE also advised that the nation’s security and stability should be enhanced by leveraging on its diversity. These strategic steps should be taken to overcome the rising security challenges across the country, especially insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and others.

The advice was contained in a communiqué issued by the NGE at the end of its 2025 Biennial Convention held in Enugu recently. The group further observed that that security is the duty of the government and citizens and stressed that the media must promote peace, inclusion and justice by prioritising peace and stability over breaking news. It observed that security agencies and media should collaborate to promote peace and stability and that the government must see the media as a profession of patriots who have the interest of the nation at heart. The NGE called on the government to equip the military and other security agencies with requisite and modern weapons needed to ensure security.

The Abia State governor, Alex Otti, who earlier spoke on the issue, argued that proper deployment of intelligence gathering would enable Nigeria’s security agencies to nip crimes in the bud. Otti charged the security operatives to pay attention to intelligence gathering in order to preempt and prevent crimes.

Similarly, the Alumni Association of the National Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) has called on the military, Department of State Services (DSS), Police, the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), and other security agencies to share counterterrorism intelligence with relevant stakeholders, in a bid to strengthen the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry in the country. According to AANISS, increased intelligence sharing will help eliminate long-standing bottlenecks and improve synergy in addressing security challenges.

We condemn the recent upsurge in insecurity in some parts of the country and urge the security agencies to scale up their intelligence gathering and sharing. We also loathe the recurring violence and killings in the North-Central zone, especially in Plateau and Benue states, the epicentre of the so-called farmers/herders conflicts. No doubt, the rising spate of insecurity in different parts of the country is a threat to the corporate existence of the country.

The recent killing of over 200 people by gunmen in Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State underscored the enormity of the nation’s security challenge. The unwarranted attack by the gunmen led to the burning of people’s houses and farm produce. It is sad that Plateau State has witnessed avoidable bloodbath and mindless killings in recent times despite deployment of security agencies in the area.

The recent alarm raised by the governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, on the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in the state, shows the worrisome dimension of insecurity in the North-East zone. It is not in doubt that the renewed attacks in Borno State are veritable signs that the counter terrorism measures are not working as expected. We believe that failure of intelligence gathering and sharing by security agencies might have been responsible for these operational lapses and seeming loss of grounds.

Government must rise to the challenge and deploy adequate technology in the war against the terrorists. Change of tactics has become imperative. While commendable efforts have been made by the government and the military to contain the menace of marauding attackers, more needs to be done to check the rising spate of insecurity in the country. Although the government should frontally tackle the security challenge, addressing the triggers of insurgency such as mass poverty, unemployment and high cost of living across the country will go a long way in checking the nation’s insecurity.

The NGE’s timely advice should be heeded. The military high command should be proactive and the troops adequately motivated. Let there be new strategies and new approaches in tackling insecurity. The federal government must show more commitment to ending the menace.

Besides, there is need for good governance. Government should address brazen poverty, social inequality and injustice in the country. The youths should be more meaningfully engaged. It has taken far too long to end the nation’s insecurity. There is need for a definite timeframe to end the nation’s unending insecurity. It should not be interminable.