Security consultant and analyst, Dr Steve Okwori, has criticised the handling of recent mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria, blaming police denial, delayed response and weak security presence in rural communities rather than intelligence failure.
Okwori said the initial denial of reported abductions by the police created a window for kidnappers to escape with their victims unchallenged, warning that such responses undermine public safety and embolden criminal groups.
He spoke during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday while assessing the broader security situation across northern Nigeria.
According to him, the region continues to grapple with multiple security threats, including terrorism, banditry and kidnappings for ransom, despite some recent operational gains recorded by security agencies.
“The northern part of Nigeria is currently being faced with a lot of insecurity challenges — terrorism, banditry activities, kidnappings, abductions and ransom payments. We mostly see these criminal activities in the North, and it is something that is worrisome,” Okwori said.
While acknowledging calls by some groups for the declaration of a national emergency on security, he noted that recent operations suggest improved coordination among Nigeria’s security agencies.
“It will not take away the fact that the Nigerian security architecture has recorded some commendable successes across multiple fronts,” he stated.
“You can see coordinated operations by the armed forces, the DSS and the police. This demonstrates growing synergy and intelligence sharing among security agencies.”
Okwori attributed these gains partly to recent leadership changes within the defence and security sector.
“The military has intensified kinetic operations. We have new service chiefs, a new Minister of Defence, and you can see coordination within the defence and security space,” he said.
However, he warned that early successes must not lead to complacency.
“What is key for me in all of these successes is sustainability. They must capitalise on the gains recorded so far. They should not become relaxed because they have recorded some successes,” he cautioned.
“We need strategic consolidation of these efforts.”
The security analyst also expressed concern that, despite some rescues, many abducted persons remain in captivity.
“Some hostages have been released or rescued, but many more are still in captivity. For instance, the people abducted from the Kurumi Wali community are still there. We have not heard anything about them,” he said.
Addressing the widely reported abduction of 177 persons from a northern community, Okwori directly faulted the police for initially denying that the incident occurred.
“I want to fault the police with regard to that incident. What the police did by initially denying that it happened was, for me, very unprofessional,” he said.
According to him, that denial delayed response and allowed the kidnappers to move freely with their victims.
“That denial and the delay from the police gave the terrorists and bandits the opportunity to ferry their victims. If they had not denied it, people who saw them moving might have raised the alarm earlier,” Okwori explained.
“There was no security agent to challenge them, and that is why they left unchallenged.”
He said the incident highlighted the absence of security presence in many rural and remote communities across the country.
“Most of these communities are remote and have no security presence. If you carry out a survey, you will discover that many of them have no police or military presence at all,” he said.
Okwori welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the establishment of armed forest guards, describing it as a positive step towards addressing security gaps in hard-to-reach areas.
“The idea of forest guards is commendable. They will be recruited from their immediate communities, trained, and armed. They will be first responders when criminals attack,” he said.
“Because these criminals were not confronted — no police, no military — they had fertile ground to operate.”
He described the manner in which the kidnappings were carried out as particularly alarming.
“They moved freely, from one community to another, even taking people from about three churches, in the early hours of the morning, not even at night,” he said.
Despite the grim security situation, Okwori pointed to recent intelligence-led arrests as evidence of improving capacity within the security agencies.
“That arrest you mentioned speaks well of intelligence gathering — being able to nip threats in the bud before they escalate,” he added.
He concluded by stressing that Nigerians should not be forced to live in fear, reminding government of its constitutional responsibility.
“Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution is clear — the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. Nigerians should not be moving from one place to another in fear or anxiety,” Okwori said.
