Nigeria is currently being ravaged by terrorism and heinous crimes and the government and security agencies are chasing shadows.
Agreed, there is no ideal security situation anywhere but the palpable insecurity in the country is benumbing.
The current level of insecurity is caused by inequality and injustice and fueled by corruption.
There is no way Nigeria, being a large nation, a major oil producer, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious and yet having a large population of poor citizens can escape terrorism.
For some Nigerians who have chosen the path of crime, they are taking advantage of the expanded global knowledge and synergies and are exploiting lax security provisioning and reckless loose ranting of the government.
Though, it is not possible to completely wipe out crime and terrorism, the federal government must start by demonstrating strong political will in the fight where Nigeria is losing on all fronts including lives; properties and investment.
Government at all levels must create and encourage the creation of employment; stop human rights violation; and train and retrain security personnel.
It is also important to build trust between security agencies and the citizenry so that the later can give information not fearing the information might be used for other purposed other than to enhance security.
But importantly, winning the war on terrorism and securing Nigeria require innovation.
In this war on terror, no amount of technology employed is too much.
Technology is a vital component to security, but it is puzzling that government and security agencies have looked elsewhere and have stayed behind the growing sophistication of modern day crimes.
War, much like any tactical game, is a mind game, and outsmarting your opponent is the path to victory.
It has to start with enhanced criminal records and identification systems that will keep high-risk individuals from obtaining weapons or positions of trust.
Fighting crime with technology means having video cameras in varied locations throughout Nigeria’s crime-ridden communities, so that what one camera may miss, another one will pick up. These days, modern cameras do not require public power, so the excuse of Nigeria’s notoriously unreliable public power is flat.
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Using GPS tracking can also assist. It means having some noise sensors, so that explosions can be detected.
Security agencies should be equipped with advanced technology including ones that can electronically scan a person’s fingerprint, relay the information to a criminal database and return any matches.
Nigeria is also ripe for the use of DNA technology which will help advance justice by solving crimes and protecting the innocent.
Technology can change the face of police work exponentially. It just needs to be applied by the right people ahead of the criminals.
For instance, the inevitable and continuous changing face of CCTV technology suggests that surveillance is in a constant state of flux, in terms of technical features, the public’s reaction, its use and management by authorities, and the nature of security.
Even to the ubiquitous mobile phones, technology may help security agencies get one step ahead of the bad guys.
Government must ask questions and obtain answers from experts. It is not rocket science or extreme engineering; it just requires political will at the highest level.