By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), have reaffirmed the commitment of the federal government to a coordinated and intelligence-driven approach to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.
They stressed that closer collaboration between internal and external security agencies is critical to guaranteeing public safety.
Tunji-Ojo stated this in Abuja when he received the defence minister, a meeting that both ministers said underscored President Bola Tinubu’s expectation of seamless cooperation across the security architecture.
While welcoming his defence counterpart, the interior minister said the visit reflected a shared understanding that Nigeria’s security challenges require unity of purpose rather than institutional rivalry.
“This visit shows that you are bringing your experience to bear and that the internal and external security agencies must become one by working together.
“Our thoughts are well aligned. Security is both internal and external, and if internal agencies do the needful, the military will not be overstretched. We have no choice but to work together; working in silence or being territorial is not in the interest of the nation”, he said.
The Interior Minister argued that while Nigeria faces serious security concerns, the country’s situation is often exaggerated by perception, noting that effective border protection remains central to national safety.
“A safe border is a safe nation. If you can’t protect your borders, you can’t guarantee the safety of a nation,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo noted that his vision for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC was for it to function as a specialized agency true to its mandate rather than competing with the police or the military.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized that internal security agencies exist to complement the armed forces, insisting that synergy, effective data management and information sharing are essential to success.
He disclosed plans for an inter-ministerial committee to harmontise the operations of both ministries, saying, “We must block all lines of division. What matters to Nigerians is performance and safety, so we must eliminate communication gaps”, he said.
In his remarks, Musa commended the Ministry of Interior for its efforts in strengthening internal security, describing security as fundamental to national development.
“Without security, there is no development,” he said, stressing that no single organization has a monopoly of intelligence and that collaboration remains indispensable.
The Defence minister called for greater use of technology to enhance intelligence sharing and noted that institutions such as the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS could play a vital role in generating actionable intelligence.
He proposed the establishment of a joint technical committee comprising internal and external security agencies to meet quarterly on national security issues, alongside the development of a holistic, shared database.
“A stronger alliance will boost public safety,” Musa said, adding that many countries grappling with asymmetric conflicts continue to thrive because of strong coordination among security institutions.
He warned that paramilitary agencies are increasingly on the frontline against criminal elements and must be adequately prepared to avoid unnecessary loss of lives in the course of protecting the nation.
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