The House of Representatives has advocated the need for immediate consideration of the use of Private Defence Contractors (mercenaries) for targeted security operations to combat insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria.
The House also sought collaboration between the office of the National Security Adviser (oNSA) and civil security agencies to identify, map, and arrest cult group leaders, violent agitators, and networks of criminal groups at tertiary education level as well as the society.
Rising from its special summit on national security,the House also urging the creation of a special unit within the police force for the purpose of working to keep the nation’s forests safe from bandits and kidnappers.
The House further called for improved capacity of the police mobile force to enable it tackle internal security challenges without necessarily overburden the military.
The special summit on national security headed by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila also noted that Nigeria’s dependence on the import of basic security requirements should be reduced by enhancing the existing military production facilities and private companies across the country
for immediate supply of needed security equipment.
The House also enjoined the President to through an executive order, initiate a civilianisation program in all the nation’s security agencies.
The lawmakers said the initiative will compel the agencies to use civilian staff to perform most back-office and non tactical duties.
The 29 -point recommendations said that: “A special team of 40,000 police mobile unit officers should undergo this special training. 1,000 should then be deployed to every state for immediate operations. North East, South West, South East can receive the officers remaining out of the 40,000.”
“Create a new team under the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to train and work with the guards of Nigeria’s forest. This unit will collaborate with the current Forest Guards who will remain under the control of States;
“Encourage the Intelligence Agencies (working with the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Defence Staff) to initiate a screening and vetting program of all frontline officers of
the Nigerian military to fish out moles and double-agents who have so far compromised most efforts at combating insecurity and win the war against insurgents and terrorists;
“Strategically, the Executive should initiate a Presidential Police Reform initiative that will be resident in one central place within the Presidency. Also, an operational specialised unit
should be established within the NPF to champion and drive all the change initiatives (based on a Presidential Policing Reform Roadmap) from within the institution.
“Direct the use of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund to procure some of the immediate equipment need by the rank-and-file police officers in Nigeria. This intervention will include the procurement of modern critical equipment for the Nigeria Police Force as specified by the leadership of the NPF”, the report reads.
