A former military officer and key figure in the 1990 Orkar coup attempt, Tony Nyiam, has called for a comprehensive restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture, warning that the country’s highly centralised system is ill-equipped to address evolving threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence.
Speaking during a public affairs programme on a national broadcast platform, Eagle FM in Ijuode last Thursday, Nyiam said while international partnerships remain important, Nigeria must urgently fix its internal security framework to achieve sustainable results.
He commended recent diplomatic engagements by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly with global partners like the United Kingdom, noting that intelligence sharing and cooperation are vital in an increasingly interconnected world.
However, he stressed that external collaboration cannot substitute for a functional domestic system.
According to him, the current structure excludes local populations from active participation in security, thereby weakening intelligence gathering, slowing response times, and eroding trust between communities and security agencies.
Nyiam described the existing framework as alienating, arguing that deploying personnel unfamiliar with local languages, culture, and terrain undermines effectiveness.
He warned that internal vulnerabilities, including divided loyalties and compromised intelligence, have further weakened the system, allowing criminal networks to outmaneuver security forces.
He advocated a decentralised, multi-layered security arrangement involving federal forces, state-level formations, and community-based units working in coordination. Such a structure, he said, would improve responsiveness and ensure that security becomes a truly collective responsibility rather than a centralised function.
The retired colonel also threw his weight behind strengthening regional security outfits such as Amotekun Corps, arguing that their local composition positions them for more effective intelligence gathering and rapid response.
He noted that while discussions around state policing are ongoing, it is critical to clearly distinguish between the roles of the police and the military.
Nyiam cautioned against militarising the police, emphasizing that law enforcement agencies are designed for civil duties and not full-scale combat operations. Turning them into combat forces, he warned, could undermine democracy and lead to abuses of power.
He maintained that properly structured and legally backed regional forces, equipped and trained within a defined framework, would significantly strengthen grassroots security.
Drawing comparisons with systems like the United States National Guard, he argued that decentralised security models can coexist with federal authority while enhancing operational efficiency and accountability.
Nyiam concluded that Nigeria’s security challenges require more than incremental reforms, insisting that only a fundamental restructuring that integrates local participation, clarifies institutional roles, and strengthens coordination across all levels of government can deliver lasting stability.
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