Security analyst, Ahmed Isa, has said the call by the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi for community-based security, aligns with global best practices and should be encouraged.
Isa in a reaction to recent comments credited to the DSS boss during a security conference where he emphasised that it is unrealistic to expect the Nigerian Army, police and DSS to protect every Nigerian, said the remarks reflected a deeper frustration with Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.
He said some critics had misinterpreted Ajayi’s message but the director general was advocating for a more inclusive, modern and adaptive security model, not promoting a “jungle-justice” approach.
He also said it was impractical to expect Nigeria’s stretched security forces to cover the vast number of states and local governments in the country.
Isa argued that the scale and complexity of modern security threats, from banditry to terrorism and cybercrime, necessitated a more community-oriented, grassroots security strategy.
He said, “The DSS boss’ comment doesn’t signal despair but a genuine strategy that builds resilience from the locals. The idea that communities should be involved in their own security is not a radical dereliction of duty—it is consistent with successful models around the world.
“What Mr. Ajayi is proposing is not arming civilians with sticks, but equipping communities with the intelligence, awareness, coordination, and legal backing to play a proactive role. Even in instances where communities possess some level of ammunition, guidance, profiling and authorization are key.
“Subjects in criticism are either totally ignorant of the proposed approach or are on hidden sinister vendetta against the Intelligence Service and are leveraging a simple patriotic alarm, to wrongly suggest that the DSS chief wants to offload the government’s constitutional duty. Forgetting to add that he also explicitly called for collaboration: for elites to engage their communities and partner with security agencies.
“Lamenting the president’s foreign travels or comparing Mr. Ajayi’s initiative to an abandonment of duty is a baseless distraction. Strategic leadership requires vision, delegation, and reform. DSS is recognizing that if you wait until a threat reaches your door step, you’ve already failed. By empowering local communities, he’s advocating pre-emptive protection and not reactive policing.
“Nigeria’s security problems long predate the APC and even democracy itself. While the party has not fulfilled all its promises, attributing every challenge to APC-era governance oversimplifies a complex issue. Insecurity is as much a product of global arms proliferation, regional instability, climate migration, and socio-economic despair as it is about political leadership.
“Shutting down the DSS is not a solution—it is a provocation. In a time when citizens yearn for leadership, the worst anyone can propose dismantling one of the few institutions positioned to respond to emerging threats.
“What’s needed is not destruction, but reform of the total security structure of the nation, investment, and more inclusive partnerships involving the locals. The DSS is, however, not waving a white flag but simply sounding an alarm and inviting Nigerians to be part of the answer.”
