The Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has called for communities to be granted rights to possess weapons as a first line of defense against criminal activities.
Speaking at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja on Thursday, Ajayi emphasized that security agencies cannot maintain presence in every community simultaneously.
“You do not expect the Nigerian army, police, DSS, to protect every Nigerian. It is not going to work,” Ajayi stated. “What we have to start experimenting with is how we can make the community be a fist in the first line of defense.”
The DSS chief cited successful examples of community defense, particularly in Bauchi State, where locals effectively repelled invaders. “The people of Bogoro and some parts of Tafawa Balewa rose up on one occasion.
They knew their territory better, climbing onto trees and mountains when the invaders came. They did not only repel them, but they also seized their weapons.”
Ajayi emphasized the importance of communal action in security matters: “What is our culture? Our culture is communal.
We do things together. We celebrate festivals together. We hold ceremonies together. So why can’t we fight some miscreants, some shenanigans among us, together?”
The DSS Director-General suggested that while communities handle immediate threats, security agencies should focus on larger challenges. “The military, police, and other security agencies have to deal with the bigger ones, like organised crime.”
Drawing from personal experience, Ajayi shared his involvement in community security: “I come from a village in Ijebu, and I talk to my people.
I know the level of armament they are entitled to. I know how they organize themselves in quarters. I’m using my expertise to guide them. You cannot wait for the military to come and do it.”
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