5 things Nigerians must learn from hardship protests, Security expert reveals

• Security expert Ademario Emmanuel urged the Nigerian government to prioritize collaboration with community-based, voluntary uniform organizations and credible civil society groups
• Ademario stressed the importance of integrating youth councils, student unions, and grassroots organizations into security strategies
• Ademario highlighted the need for transparency and merit-based recruitment in security agencies

FCT, Abuja - In the wake of recent hardship protests across Nigeria, a security expert, Ademario Emmanuel, Director General of the Coalition of Nigerian Youths on Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA), has highlighted several critical lessons Nigerians must learn.

He emphasized that both security agencies and civil society must rethink their strategies to prevent future unrest and ensure national stability.

Security expert, Ademario speaks on lessons from hardship protest Photo credit: Ademario Emmanuel/@Naija_PR
Source: UGC

It was in an exculsive interview with Legit.ng, on Wednesday, August 13, that he highlighted some of these lessons.

Ademario: FG must engage genuine CSOs, grassroots security units

Ademario emphasized the importance of genuine CSOs that have active members across communities.

According to him, these organizations should be at the forefront of security engagements with the government.

He said:

"We have community-based, voluntary uniform organizations such as the Royal Shepherd of CEC, White Brigade, Hunters Association, and the Peace Corps of Nigeria. "There is a need to holistically harness and strengthen these groups."

He further noted that youth councils, student unions, and religious youth bodies like NACOMIO (National Council of Muslim Youth Organizations) and the Youth Wing of CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) should be utilized to connect with communities at the grassroots level.

Why FG must utilize community-based youth bodies

The security expert stressed the importance of involving youth-based bodies in addressing security issues.

These bodies have strong grassroots connections and can be instrumental in preventing conflicts before they escalate.

He explained:

"Community youth-based organizations like the Nigerian Youth Parliament and various student unions must be mainstreamed alongside security efforts. "Students belong to these bodies, and security agencies have an edge if they quickly address issues at the grassroots."

Ademario criticized the security agencies for relying on "one-man show civil society organizations" that lack genuine membership.

He urged the authorities to collaborate with organizations that have real influence in their communities.

Ademario calls for genuine engagement from security agencies

Ademario made a direct appeal to the heads of Nigeria's security agencies, urging them to engage with credible youth organizations to address the root causes of unrest.

He stated:

"I am calling on the Director General of the DSS, the Inspector General of Police, and the Chief of Defence Staff, as well as the Minister of Interior, to engage with genuine youth bodies. "These organizations can be used as tools to reach out to their people and bring ideas that promote peace and unity."

He further warned that failure to engage with these bodies would leave the country vulnerable to future crises.

Tinubu must reform recruitment practices in security agencies

Ademario also pointed out that recruitment into security agencies must be reformed to ensure that only passionate and qualified individuals are selected.

He criticized the illegal practices that marred the last Nigerian Police recruitment and called for a transparent and merit-based process.

He said:

"We cannot continue to do things the wrong way and expect effective results. There are volunteers and passionate individuals who are eager to serve. "Let the Nigerian government engage organizations like Man O' War to recommend young people for recruitment. This would be the best recruitment Nigeria has ever seen."

Innovate and Adapt for Better Results

In his final point, Ademario stressed the need for innovation in Nigeria's approach to security.

He urged the federal government to take a different dimension in tackling security issues by adopting new strategies and ideas from diverse youth and community-based organizations.

He concluded:

"Until we begin to do things differently, we will not see the expected results. The time has come for Nigeria to innovate and adapt to ensure peace and stability in the country."

Security expert explains implication waving Russian flags

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that on Friday, August 16, Timothy Avele, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Agent-X Security Limited, shared his expert perspective on the seeming Russian clout in Nigeria.

He added that it shows intelligence failure on the part of leading internal intelligence agencies, especially considering that such incidents were observed in about four states.

Source: Legit.ng