Security expert Kabiru Adamu has lamented the porous nature of Nigerian borders, adding that the government is not doing enough to enhance border security.
Adamu made the statement on Channels Television while addressing the incessant killings in some Nigerian communities, which have been attributed to foreign cattle rearers by both the government and the military.
The security expert stressed that the borders are porous and that the government is failing in its duty to secure them.
“I hear a lot of political posturing. I hear several conditionings by different persons. But the reality is, as of today, our borders are extremely porous,”;; he said.
“The second point is our criminal justice system, which is failing to arrest and punish these persons, whoever they are. It’s amazing that the transhumance element within ECOWAS allows the movement of livestock. Almost all the countries I studied within the sub-region have mechanisms for recording and monitoring the movement of those engaged in transhumance, except Nigeria, the biggest country and the one facing some of the highest insecurity challenges.
“So my point is that enough of these excuses. We need to act to stop these things. There is enough knowledge regarding the causes. If people are coming in, there is a government department responsible for strengthening border security.
“We should wake up. This is really a call to the National Assembly, through its oversight functions, to ensure that the government departments responsible for security are held accountable. Security has different components.
“Once you start bringing those components together, then you may see an improvement. But if all we ever talk about is the role of the military, which is perhaps the greatest undoing of our current existence, then we are missing the point.
“We have placed too much responsibility on the military, while the other ministries, departments, and agencies responsible for security are not given the same level of responsibility.
“Border management is not primarily the responsibility of the military. And if the military is saying that there is an incursion, then we need to take a closer look at the agencies and ministries responsible for border management.
“If they are failing to the extent that we are seeing the types of attacks and incursions currently happening, then we need to act swiftly.”;;
