Security expert urges grassroots intelligence to boost Nigeria’s internal security

Chairman of the Delta State Waterways and Land Security Committee, Chief Boro Opudu, has called for collective involvement to effectively enhance internal security in the country.

Opudu made the call while hosting students of the 2025 Senior Course 47 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, on Thursday in Warri.

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“All hands must be on deck to enhance internal security in communities, local government areas, states, and the nation by providing intelligence, which is the driver of every operation of security agencies,” he said.

The students were led by Brigadier-General Al-Hassan Grema, Director of Coordination, Senior Course 47, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.

The theme of the tour was: “Harnessing Grassroots Intelligence for Enhanced Internal Security.”

The chairman was represented at the event by Mr Ediri Otovie, Assistant Director (Admin)/Head of Administration, Delta State Waterways and Land Security Committee.

Opudu, who described the theme of the tour as very apt, said the committee was constituted by the state government to help mitigate security challenges in the state.

He emphasised the importance of security in society, which, according to him, informed the Delta State Government’s decision to establish the committee to effectively monitor the nooks and crannies of the state.

He noted that the state had been confronted with a plethora of peace and security breaches such as youth restiveness, kidnapping, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism, and illegal bunkering, among others.

Opudu said Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, in his wisdom, constituted the committee to address the perennial insecurity in the state.

He added that, although the committee does not bear arms nor wear uniforms in the course of their duties, it provides useful intelligence to security agencies for possible arrest and prosecution as the case may be.

“Security is a major concern in society; it is a critical sector that affects everyone. Hence, the roles of various stakeholders are needed.

“The Delta State Waterways and Land Security Committee is made up of community leaders, stakeholders, and youths who are familiar with the riverine and land terrain of the state.

“The committee is expected to send early warning signals to the appropriate security agencies in case of breaches, to ensure the state’s land and waterways are safe for the populace and investors.

“The committee is mandated to assist the government in checking the activities of miscreants, hoodlums, and kidnappers, as well as in the protection of lives and property in the state,” he said.

Opudu said the recruitment of informants and the composition of the committee’s members were done from within the immediate communities.

According to him, this approach makes their operations more effective, as the members are familiar with virtually all the indigenes in their environments.

Opudu concluded that the theme of the tour was a contemporary subject in national discourse.

He, however, noted that if well researched, it would offer solutions to emerging security challenges that have not only cost lives but also negatively impacted the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In response, Brigadier-General Grema thanked the committee for receiving them.

Grema said the participants were on a tour of the Delta State Waterways and Land Security Committee to understand their mode of operations.

“We have found useful takeaways from your briefing. I have been in Delta; this committee has been active for a very long time.

“My advice is that any commander of the security forces operating in Delta who does not work closely with this committee will find his work very challenging,” he said.

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