Security analyst Dickson Osajie has criticised the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity in the country, describing its approach as lacking clear direction and strategy.
Osajie made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he argued that authorities have yet to demonstrate a concrete plan for tackling the security challenges confronting the nation.
“I think the Government is confused. That’s just the truth, they don’t have the plan in phase to eliminate this threat. This is an existential and societal threat because it poses a lot of threat to society.
“I tell you that whatever poses a threat to the society must be eliminated but I think we are not eliminating this threat. That’s why most times we need to be very careful when we start granting amnesty to criminal elements,” he stated.
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The security expert also criticised the practice of granting amnesty to criminal groups, arguing that it sends the wrong message and weakens deterrence.
According to him, criminals may interpret such actions as a sign that serious offences can be committed without severe consequences.
“This is what you get when you draft out amnesty to criminals, you send a signal to the populace that Nigeria is a place where crime can be committed and you are forgiven by the state and that’s why most of us that are advocating for effective punishment it’s that we are weak.
“It is just that we are trying to recommend effective punishment to terrorist, bandits and to criminal elements to ensure that a form of psychological, specific and general deterrence to the public that says Nigeria is a ‘No, No’ zone for you to go and commit criminal activities. If you commit any criminal activities in Nigeria you are going to be well punished,” he added.
Osajie’s comments come against the backdrop of persistent attacks by criminal groups across the country, resulting in deaths, abductions and displacement in several states.
The recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026, has renewed concerns over school safety and prompted President Bola Tinubu to approve the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards as part of efforts to rescue the victims and strengthen security.
However, Osajie argued that deploying forest guards would not adequately address the scale of the threat posed by heavily armed criminal groups.
“I’m looking at what is happening in Oyo state and the establishment of 1000 guard. We don’t need it, we are not talking about forest guards here, we are talking about an imminent threat. Guys with multi purpose machine guns, operating with drones, high powered equipment and you want to send forest guard, this is not what we are talking about.
“We need to start looking at the potential of an optimal border, these kidnap victims, where do they usually take them to? they don’t take them to space, they take them to ungovernable spaces and these ungovernable spaces the government must make it ungovernable for these people.”
He also questioned the effectiveness of the proposed forest guards in locating abductees and tracking criminal movements through forests and remote areas.
“How will they start combing our bushes because I see no reason why you will kidnap over 300 human beings and even if it’s animals, you’d be able to trace their footstep, 300, 100, 40 people and nothing is being done about it.
“So for me what I would advise is every state government should sit up don’t wait for the government to babysit you because Abuja is always babysitting our governors whenever an incident happens they run to Abuja,” he said on the breakfast show.
