Managing director of Strict Guards Security Ltd, Bone Efoziem, on Thursday in Lagos, underscored the need for collaborative efforts to tackle the spate of terrorism and crime in society.

Mr Efoziem said that a strong collaboration among law enforcement agencies, including the military and paramilitary, will help overcome criminal activities.

According to him, agencies must work together, share intelligence, and coordinate responses so as to end terrorism and crime.

He noted that matters of security are not the sole responsibility of security agencies, but every Nigerian must play their role to deal with the ill bedevilling society.

“Rather than addressing criminal activity, people sometimes cover for offenders because of shared ethnicity,” he said.

The expert identified key factors fuelling crime to include the availability of illicit funds, unemployment among the youth, and access to drugs, among others.

He argued that vulnerable young people without legitimate jobs were ready prey for criminal elements, especially in areas with rich resources.

On the way forward, Mr Efoziem called for local and international cooperation, including joint task forces, community policing, public-private partnerships, and global security collaborations.

He said that this will improve intelligence, policy, and crisis management, adding that there is also the need to integrate traditional systems into the security framework.

“Before colonial times, local communities had traditional systems that maintained law and order; these institutions should be part of the national security architecture today.

“If 25 children are kidnapped from a school in a remote area, the response of security forces is often delayed due to distance; therefore, establishing control centres closer to communities could help mitigate such delays,” he said.

Mr Efoziem urged Nigerian security agencies to work closely with government leadership and traditional institutions to develop a national security architecture that will effectively reach underserved areas.

(NAN)