Nigerian-born security professional and retired Deputy Sheriff, Dr. John Egbo, has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to urgently overhaul Nigeria’s internal security architecture. His open letter, released at the close of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, emphasizes the need for bold reforms to protect Nigerians from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Dr. Egbo highlighted the fragility of Nigeria’s security system despite ongoing government investments in counterterrorism and border patrols. He noted that porous borders, overstretched policing, and unchecked criminal activity in forests and rural areas continue to threaten national stability. According to him, “Failure to act swiftly risks eroding citizen confidence and damaging Nigeria’s reputation as a regional leader.”
The letter identifies five major weaknesses: porous borders, an over-centralized federal police system, unsecured rural and forest areas, excessive police deployment to VIP protection, and an unregulated private security sector.
To address these, Dr. Egbo proposed four urgent measures. He urged the creation of state police, with a pilot program in five to seven states by mid-2026; the establishment of a National Forest Guard Service under the Ministry of Interior, with the first battalion deployed by early 2026; the regulation and integration of private security firms through an Office of Private Security Regulation, with a legal framework in place by December 2025; and the redeployment of police officers from VIP protection to community policing, beginning in the first quarter of 2026.
If implemented, he said, these measures would secure Nigeria’s borders, disrupt arms smuggling, restore safety in rural communities, increase police visibility, and professionalize the private security industry. He added that such reforms would position Nigeria as a regional model for integrated security management.
Concluding his appeal, Dr. Egbo wrote: “Nigeria cannot afford delays in overhauling its security architecture. The threats of terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry demand urgent, coordinated, and sustainable action. A promise made must be a promise kept.”
Dr. John Egbo, a retired Deputy Sheriff, is currently based in the United States, home of the United Nations. He can be reached at Jnegbo1@gmail.com.
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