The Director-General of the Directorate of State Service, Oluwatosin Ajayi, has urged that local communities be given arms so they can protect themselves against insurgents .
According to Premium Times, Ajayi said this while Speaking at the first annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies. He stressed that communities need to act as the first line of defense against insurgency before the police, military, and other security agencies can step in.
Mr. Ajayi explained that it’s unrealistic to expect the Nigerian Army, police, and SSS to protect every single citizen. He noted, “you do not expect the Nigerian Army, police, and SSS to protect every Nigerian. It is not going to work.” Citing an incident in Azare, Bauchi State, he recalled how a local community “stood against Boko Haram terrorists and defeated them.” This example, he said, shows that with proper armament and training, ordinary Nigerians can help fend off attacks.
He also pointed out that while the security forces focus on larger threats like organized crime, it is simply not possible for them to cover every community. By empowering Nigerians to defend themselves, Mr. Ajayi believes that local residents will play a vital role in enhancing overall national security.
Prominent security officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, were also in attendance at the lecture, underlining the importance of this call for community-based defense.
This clear message emphasizes that for Nigeria to effectively tackle its security challenges, citizens themselves must be ready and able to take part in their own defense.
