Technology Advancement, Threat to Internal Security, Says Ex-IG Arase

Blessing Ibunge

The former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase (Rtd) has described as worrisome speedy advancement in technology as a threat to the internal security of the country.

Arase stated this yesterday in his keynote address at the ‘South-south Citizen Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security,” that was held in Port Harcourt by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

Arase, who was represented by Assistant Inspector of Police, Mr. Patrick Dokumo (Rtd), stressed that the advanced technology gave birth to the troubling cybercrime, kidnapping, insurgency, separatism, armed robbery, fraud and other transnational crimes.

He noted the importance of technology in this era and advocated for a holistic overhaul of the Nigerian Police Force and internal security architecture, in order to tackle the high insecurity challenging peace and stability of the country.

The former IGP maintained that opening a dialogue to discuss the people’s differences and diversity would engender national integration.

Arase listed kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, cultism, terrorism as well as proliferation of firearms by unauthorised persons as major security threats to Nigeria’s security.

“Technology as a component of internal security management appreciates that we live in a globalised world where technology is both a challenge and a solution.

“As a challenge, virtually all crimes are conceptualised and manifested with the aid of technology.

“Cybercrime, kidnapping, insurgency, separatism, armed robbery, fraud and other transnational crimes are all aided by technology in one way or the other. It therefore goes to say that the advancement in technology is indeed a threat to internal security.

“Conversely, technology is also a solution to internal security threats as it provides solutions (hardware and software) that could be engaged and deployed to prevent, detect, and disrupt elements that constitute threats. Indeed, modern internal security activities are increasingly driven by technology rather than numbers of women and men employed on security functions.

“There must be holistic reforms of the Nigerian Police Force and the country’s internal security system, with a view to funding, equipping, training and retraining of personnel to curb both internal and external aggression,” he said.

Arase also said that “the pursuit of limited resources, power and control has led to terrorism and insecurity across the country. Lack of religious and ideological tolerance has also led to mass killings, destruction of public properties across the country.

“The political class has also contributed in no small measures to insecurity across the country by failing to provide employment to our teeming youths in the country, which has led many of them to go into crimes.”

He called for an open dialogue and discussion for national unity, stressing that the discussion should be targeted towards national integration, coherence and unity.

“The citizen must join hands to build a secured nation. Tolerance, unity, equality must be entrenched in the minds of all citizens.

“Also community policing is important, technologically driven policing, inter-agency and inter government collaboration to address internal security from a modern perspective. A socio-economic approach, that addresses the roots through developmental process will reduce the factors that induce internal security,” he said.

In his address, the National President of NIPR, Mr. Mukhtar Sirajo, called for unity in diversity.

Sirajo stated that the biggest endowment that God has blessed Nigeria with is the county’s diversity. He noted that people are frustrated because of the state of the nation but advised all to harness the diversity for the peace and development of the Nigeria.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Rivers State Chairman of NIPR, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim, harped on the need to rebuild trust and break the jinx of ethnicity, religion and tribe.

Nsirim, who is also the Commissioner for Information and Communication, said: “Nigeria is at a crossroad but we will not import people into the country to solve the problem for us. Nigeria is a very blessed country but what we lack is the right leadership.

“The time has come for us as a people for us to rebuild our nation. For the youths, don’t allow yourself to be used as soldiers of negative propaganda against the country.”