The federal government has reaffirmed its determination and commitment to improving the security of all citizens in the country, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, Blessing Lere-Adams, said on Tuesday.

According to her, the minister, Rauf Aregbesola, stated this during the inauguration of the committee to study the recommendations and implementation strategies on strengthening the internal security framework and community policing in Nigeria.

The minister said that the committee had observed that the absence of a national security policy and strategy document and a monitoring and evaluation framework on internal security has negatively affected the operations of the internal security agencies in the country.

This, therefore, necessitated the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to approve an Inter-Ministerial Committee with all relevant stakeholders on internal security to be put in place.

The minister further noted that one of the nine priority areas of the present administration was to improve governance and provide security for all citizens.

“Therefore, it calls for all seriousness to provide the needed apparatus and security architecture to fight insecurity in the country,” he said.

The committee inaugurated has seven sub-committees and their Terms of Reference (TOR).

These seven sub-committees include the committee to develop an internal security policy and strategy with Mr Aregbesola as chairman.

Also included is a committee to develop a mechanism for effective synergy and coordination among internal security agencies and adopt community policing as a national strategy with the minister of police affairs as chairman.

They also included a committee to develop comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework for internal security operatives with the permanent secretary of Interior as chairman.

The committee on the application of appropriate science, technology and innovation for strengthening internal security management, including forensic satellite imagery, drones, CCTVs are also included, with the representative of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Innovation as chairman.

Others are committee on the establishment of an Internal Service Trust Fund with the permanent secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, as Chairman.

A committee on the appropriate devolution of control of resources along the chains of Command of Internal Security Agency with the director-general of NDLEA as chairman is also included.

Among them also is the committee to innovate funding mechanism for upgrading equipment holdings of internal security agencies and for providing the needed equipment for security agencies, with the I-G as chairman.

“I do not need to reiterate the seriousness of this assignment.

“Providing security for lives and property of the citizens is the primary responsibility of the government.

“This is a mission on which we cannot afford to fail.

“Three things are clear in your mandates. The first is that there must be a new and effective strategic thinking that should be at least two steps ahead of these current challenges, especially with the recent incidences at the correctional facilities

“These are no longer internal insurrection by inmates but a mass armed invasion from outside,” he said.

According to him, a new strategy, therefore, must emerge to tackle these new challenges.

“Secondly is the issue of galvanising resources, human, financial and technology.

“The third concern is community policing.

“The people are the primary agents in their security, nevertheless, they must be socialised and well organised along that line – with the people in the first line of defence.

“Therefore, if people are organised for their security, it makes the work of security agencies easier,” he said.