When the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Adeola Ajayi advocated for self-help and communal approach to insecurity and crimes such as raids on vulnerable communities leading to unprovoked deaths, insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, he ignited a heated debate about whether his suggestion invited anarchy and mutually assured destruction that could plunge the country into technical warfare.<\/p>\n
However, DG Ajayi was not pioneering this perspective. In 2022, General Theophilus Danjuma reiterated the same position at a public event in his home state of Taraba, echoing his earlier 2018 statement responding to widespread violence that left destruction and misery in its wake.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a soldier, the best defence is attack. Right now, we are all sitting ducks. These people are armed to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction, but we don\u2019t have them. We have the numbers and the land belongs to us\u2026,we must find out the source of the arms of terrorists; Nigerians should equally find a means of arming themselves to face the terrorists.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a general, former Chief of Defence Staff and Minister of Defence, Danjuma\u2019s military expertise lends weight to his assessment. His prescription for self-defence, though controversial, addressed the brazen impunity of perpetrators of heinous crimes. His stance was also perceived as an indictment of Nigeria\u2019s failing security architecture and the ruling elite, to which both Danjuma and DG Ajayi undeniably belong.<\/p>\n
The escalating killings in Plateau, Benue and other parts of the country have given these views increased traction. Public opinion now increasingly favours what would ordinarily be considered unthinkable. In recent weeks, over 100 lives have been lost in Plateau and Benue, victims of heavily armed unknown assailants terrorising defenceless communities. Simultaneously, Boko Haram resurgence in the Northeast and banditry in the Northwest continue unabated. Political, ethnic and religious polarisation persists, fostering an atmosphere of mistrust. The critically low ratio of law enforcement personnel to the population compounds these challenges.<\/p>\n
The government appears bereft of solutions. Experts are proposing alternative approaches based on models that the DSS boss observed succeeding elsewhere. He cited incidents in Azare and Bogoro communities in Bauchi state where residents effectively repelled Boko Haram. At a security personnel event, DG Ajayi urged \u201cNigerians to emulate the people of Azare and rise to the occasion of supporting the security agencies in their bid to reduce security challenges\u2026If we want to stop this terrorism, we should learn from them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outlining his \u2018practical approach,\u2019 he acknowledged, \u201cit is impossible for us to deploy to every community in the country, it is unimaginable that any security agency has the resources to do it\u2026 What we have to start experimenting with is how we can make the community a force in the first line of defence. What is our culture? Our culture is communal. We do things together. We celebrate festivals together. We hold ceremonies together. So why can\u2019t we fight some miscreants, some shenanigans among us, together?\u201d<\/p>\n
Other prominent Nigerians have aligned with DG Ajayi and General Danjuma, including former military governor and Senate President, David Mark and Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau. \u201cWe can no longer stand to watch people killed needlessly for no just cause,\u201d David Mark stated regarding the Benue murders.<\/p>\n
Governor Mutfwang, having witnessed repeated failures to restore peace in Plateau state, appears disillusioned with security agencies. \u201cLet me remind you that whatever arrangements the security agencies will make may not solve the problem; the solution will come from the communities. We have come to a point in Nigeria, where every community must defend itself,\u201d though he cautioned against lawlessness, adding, \u201cI will not, however, support lawlessness, but we can\u2019t afford to go to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
Historically, communities relied on local heroes who defended their territories with unwavering commitment. This tradition waned with the advent of political opportunists who exchanged security promises for votes. The military initially provided some semblance of safety, but politicians\u2019 broken promises, underinvestment in security technology, outdated weaponry, and the emergence of various militias\u2014some disguised as state security but serving as governors\u2019 personal enforcers\u2014have exacerbated security challenges and nullified earlier gains. The situation has devolved into a landscape of mercenaries, insurgency, and armed incursions that have transformed communities into killing fields.<\/p>\n
The absence of national outrage, with only localised protests from affected areas, suggests widespread apathy. The DSS Director-General\u2019s admission that resources are insufficient to \u201cdeploy to every community\u201d underscores the necessity for self-protection initiatives.<\/p>\n
His commitment to organise communities as a \u201cfirst line of defence\u201d should be fully embraced by vulnerable populations. Self-protection principles should be codified into national law, potentially encompassing community policing, intelligence gathering, collaboration, and neighborhood watch programmes, while prioritising peaceful approaches and human rights. Indeed, isn\u2019t community mobilisation for self-protection preferable to pooling resources for ransom payments?<\/p>\n
Critics cite America\u2019s gun violence epidemic as evidence against armed civilians. However, Nigeria faces organised, premeditated attacks on an unprecedented scale, distinct from American dynamics. Finding localised solutions to indigenous challenges is more appropriate than importing foreign models.<\/p>\n
What, then, is the controversy about self-protection when traditional security measures have proven inadequate? A fresh approach warrants serious consideration.<\/p>\n