By Zainab Bakare
The Minister of Defence Christopher Musa says military operations alone cannot resolve insecurity in Nigeria’s North-Central region, calling for stronger intelligence sharing and cooperation between security agencies, governments and communities.
Musa said recurring communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, banditry, kidnapping and the spread of illegal arms continued to threaten lives, livelihoods and economic activities across the region.
He spoke at the 2026 North-Central Regional Security Summit in Makurdi, Benue State, where he urged authorities to address both the immediate security threats and the factors that sustain them.
The minister said security agencies must protect communities and restore order, but lasting peace would require better intelligence, stronger inter-agency coordination, community engagement and conflict prevention.
He also called for greater cooperation between state and local governments because criminal groups often operate across administrative boundaries.
Musa said authorities must turn security recommendations into specific actions with clear responsibilities rather than allow them to remain on paper.
He noted that the Federal Government would continue to strengthen the capacity and welfare of security personnel while improving intelligence sharing between agencies.
Former Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan, said poor coordination among security institutions remained a major weakness in Nigeria’s response to insecurity.
Morgan said security agencies often receive information from farmers, traditional rulers, vigilantes, forest rangers, police officers and intelligence personnel but fail to move the information quickly enough to support operations.
He called for a unified intelligence system that connects communities with security command structures and operational units.
Morgan said Nigeria needed to shift from an agency-centred approach to a coordinated security system that prioritises prevention, intelligence fusion and community participation.
He said communities should play an active role in identifying and preventing threats rather than remain passive victims of insecurity.
For the North-Central, Morgan recommended permanent intelligence fusion, stronger regional coordination and closer integration between the military, police and intelligence agencies.
He also called for greater involvement of local authorities and communities in security planning and emergency preparedness.
Musa said restoring security in the region remained essential to agriculture, trade and other economic activities because residents need to live and work without fear.
Edited by Julian Osamoto
