Security stakeholders advocate deployment of technology in crime fight

Following incessant kidnappings and violent crimes in the country, stakeholders in the security sector yesterday stressed the need to deploy technology in solving Nigeria’s security challenges and the fight against crimes.

The consensus was reached at the 2017 edition of Securex West Africa, which held at the Landmark event centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Abdurrazzaq Balogun emphasized the urgent need for a state police.

He hinted that the government has reduced the spate of bank robberies and sundry crimes through adequate funding for security agencies in the state.According to him, “We need to fight crime with technology. Without adequate security, development cannot take place. Over 1,150 vehicles have been procured for security agents in Lagos. We also procured three helicopters and many other types of equipment. In the last eight years, we have recorded less than eight bank robberies. We have worked with banks to reduce armed robbery in the state.”

He also told the audience comprising mainly private security practitioners, security equipment manufacturers and merchants, government security agencies how the LSSTF has turned around the fortunes of the state in the area of security.

Balogun restated that the trust fund was conceived by former Governor Babatunde Fashola and established by a law of the state House of Assembly in September 2007. His words: “The idea of establishing the fund which would be modeled on a public/private arrangement became imperative when the governor received the report of the Security Committee he established under the chairmanship of Alhaji Musiliu Smith, a former Inspector General of Police.

“The committee was charged with looking at ways and means of combating the growing menace of violent crimes in the state and the seeming inability of the police to confront this challenge in spite of their best endeavours.

“A review of the report made it crystal clear that the problem was essentially related to logistics, mobility, communications, kitting and so on especially when considering the peculiar challenges the state poses. It was the finding of the Security committee that a minimum of N3.7B was required as the cost of providing standard security cover for Lagos State including the waterways.

“The Fund was a practical response to the reality of the operational deficiency of the Police and other federal security agencies within the state due to long years of neglect by the Federal government, particularly in areas of funding and provision of modern equipment. The Fund is essentially a public-private partnership in response to the challenges of security.”

President of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), David Akhimien urged the Federal government to expedite action towards reforming the country’s security apparatus.

“We urgently need security sector reform. Things cannot just remain this way. Government must involve the private security practitioners in securing Nigeria. If private security is well harnessed, it can trigger off peace building and national development.”

Chief Executive Officer of Bulwark Security and former officer of the US Airforce, Tanwa Ashiru harped on the need for government to engage the grassroots people in the Niger Delta and develop the area to ensure peace in the country.

Event Director of SECUREX, George Pearson noted that the event was Nigeria’s most established and only dedicated security and public safety event to serve the government and private sector in West Africa.

“We have packaged the next three days to be informative and interactive and we encourage people to take full advantage of their time to network with their peers in security,” he noted.