Retired General Aliyu Gusau, the former National Security Adviser, expressed the view that securing Nigeria is a challenging task due to its vast population of 223.8 million and diverse terrain spanning 923,768 square kilometres.
During the launch of the Askarawa security outfit by the Zamfara State government to enhance the efforts of security agencies, General Gusau highlighted the difficulty of expecting a single police force to effectively patrol and control such a large and intricate nation.
The former Minister of Defence urged a reevaluation of the security strategy for the country’s benefit, lamenting the daily loss of innocent lives to various criminal activities such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cultism, and other vices prevalent across Nigeria.
General Gusau noted that deploying additional military forces to hotspots had not yielded the desired results.
He commended the initiative by the Zamfara State Government, stating that it could complement the efforts of the regular police force. To ensure its success, General Gusau emphasized the importance of creating appropriate support structures and advocated for greater inter-agency collaboration.
He stressed the need for cooperation between the government, private sector, and citizens in addressing the complex security challenges faced by the nation.
