Security consultant and industry leader Victoria Ekhomu has called for urgent reforms of Nigeria's security architecture, warning that the country's rising insecurity poses a serious threat to democracy, economic development, and national stability. Ekhomu made the remarks in a Democracy Day statement where she assessed the nation's security situation and the performance of the current administration in addressing terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, cybercrime, and other forms of organized violence across the country.
Current Security Challenges
The security expert, who is the Managing Director of Transworld Security and President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), said although the Federal Government has made some progress in tackling insecurity, ordinary Nigerians continue to face threats to their lives and property daily. According to her, insecurity has evolved from isolated criminal activities into a more sophisticated network involving terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, pipeline vandalism, cultism, cybercrime, and transnational organized crime.
She noted that the present administration inherited a weak and overstretched security system characterized by poor intelligence coordination, porous borders, inadequate manpower, unemployment, and widespread distrust between citizens and security agencies.
Government Gains Acknowledged
Ekhomu, however, acknowledged some gains recorded by the government, including the acquisition of military hardware and surveillance equipment, renewed offensives against insurgents and armed groups, increased intelligence-driven operations, and stronger collaboration among security agencies. She also cited improved cooperation with regional and international security partners, as well as growing attention to cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection.
Despite these efforts, she said insecurity remains widespread in many parts of the country. “Kidnappings for ransom continue on highways and within communities. Rural banditry has displaced thousands of citizens, while terrorist threats remain active in some regions,” she stated. She added that many farmers are still unable to access their farmlands safely, while businesses now spend huge sums on private security and risk management due to concerns over public safety.
Root Causes of Insecurity
According to Ekhomu, Nigeria's security crisis is rooted in poverty, youth unemployment, corruption, weak governance, proliferation of illegal arms, inadequate policing capacity, and slow judicial processes. She also identified poor intelligence sharing, ethno-religious tensions, and political manipulation as factors worsening insecurity across the country. “Insecurity thrives where governance is weak and where citizens feel abandoned,” she said.
Proposed Reforms
The security consultant urged the government to shift from reactive responses to preventive and intelligence-based security strategies. She called for increased investment in intelligence gathering, data analytics, predictive policing, technology-enabled surveillance, and artificial intelligence-assisted threat monitoring. Ekhomu further stressed the need for seamless intelligence sharing among security agencies, warning that institutional rivalry and operational silos weaken national security efforts.
On policing, she said Nigeria remains under-policed considering its population size and security challenges. She therefore advocated the recruitment of more police personnel, improved welfare and equipment for officers, and stronger collaboration between public and private security operators. She also supported community policing, saying traditional rulers, local leaders, and residents should play active roles in securing their communities.
The security professional called for tighter border control through the deployment of drones, biometric systems, smart surveillance technology, and joint border operations with neighboring countries to tackle arms trafficking and illegal migration. She linked rising insecurity to unemployment among young people and urged government to prioritize vocational training, entrepreneurship support, digital economy initiatives, and public-private employment programmes.
Ekhomu also recommended the deployment of modern security technologies, including CCTV surveillance systems, facial recognition tools, cyber intelligence platforms, and national criminal databases. She further advocated reforms within the justice system, including faster prosecution of criminal cases, specialized courts for terrorism and kidnapping offences, and improved forensic investigation capacity.
Conclusion
According to her, democracy can only succeed where citizens feel safe and protected. She said Nigeria has the human and institutional capacity to overcome insecurity but warned that achieving lasting peace would require political will, accountability, long-term planning, and cooperation between government and citizens. Ekhomu added that the country must move beyond temporary security responses and focus on reforms capable of addressing the root causes of violence and criminality nationwide.
