Rights coalition supports DSS Director on Community security

By Ologeh Joseph Chibu

The Director of State Security Services, (DSS) Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi deserves commendation for his proposal on sustainable community security for Nigeria, a prominent human rights coalition has said.

In a statement on Wednesday made available to Irohinoodua the Nigerian Human Rights Community, (NIHRC) a coalition of 135 civil society and community based organisations spread across the country praised the ingenuity of the DSS Director saying his suggestion is the most realistic solution to protecting local communities and urban centres from attacks by terrorists. He said communities play a crucial role in securing themselves. He spoke at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja.

‘We find the proposal of the DSS comprehensive, cost effective and a practical, realistic way to deal with insurgency in Nigeria’ the NHRC said in a statement signed by its regional officials, Kudu Abubakar, Emeka Amadi, Digifa Weri and Taiwo Adeleye.

The coalition said it will soon organise a workshop to sensitize its members and promote the suggestion of the DSS across the country. The group said the initiative will drastically reduce insurgency and save Nigerian from the claws of violence. The coalition also said the proposal will stop military coups, enrich intelligence bank of the government and prevent foreign invasion with the communities serving as first line of defence.

The DSS Director has suggested that communities should be allowed to bear light arms in a highly organised, regulated, disciplined and professional manner to serve as the first line of defence against insurgency and violent crimes in the country.

The coalition said the model being proposed by the DSS Director is the practice in many countries like the United States, (US), India adding that many European countries also adopted the model since after the Second World War.
‘The strategy will stop terrorism, it will help in fighting crime and it will bring communities to the door steps of peace and harmony. The strategy will enhance food production and promote community and urban economy opening up frontiers for foreign investment in local communities which at present is greatly affected by rural-urban migration,’ the NIHRC said.
The coalition said communities are not governed by politicians but by people who hold in trust the ancient values, culture and heritage of their people and that the communities entrust them and have confidence in them more than state institutions saying that it is a great advantage which would eliminate the fear of such a system being controlled by politically exposed persons.
‘The strategy will save cost for the government. Communities on their own know how to fund the local security through donations and levies. They own the process and that gives them the spirit to invest everything they have in the initiative to their own advantage,’ the coalition said.
The group said what he DSS and other security officials need to do is to train the community actor in intelligence gathering and the professional use of arms adding that the communities have the capacity to pay for such services without relying on the government. It said each community is also better placed to provide funds for the money needed to buy light weapons for those who need them.
‘Every community is Nigeria has hunters who naturally carry guns and have been involved in local security for centuries. The DSS Director’s suggestion is to strengthen the existing traditional security structures and ensure professionalism through the provision of essential training.’

Signed

Taiwo Adeleye

Kudu Abubakar

Emeka Amadi

Digifa Clement Weri