Expert seeks stronger community intelligence to check North-West security

Nigeria needs stronger community intelligence networks to help security agencies detect kidnapping and other violent threats earlier and limit disruption to farming, trade and transportation in the North-West, security expert, Ken Nwachukwu, has said.

Nwachukwu said that traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth organisations and other community stakeholders should be integrated into a Whole-of-Community Security Approach (WCSA) that channels verified local information to the police, military and intelligence agencies.

He made the proposal on Saturday at the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies North-West Nigeria Geopolitical Zonal Conference in Kaduna, stressing that community intelligence should complement, not replace, professional security operations.

The proposal comes amid the scale of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis. SBM Intelligence recorded 4,722 people abducted in 997 incidents between July 2024 and June 2025, with 762 people killed. It estimated that kidnappers demanded about N48 billion in ransom and received approximately N2.57 billion during the period.

The North-West accounted for 62.2 percent of reported kidnapping victims, while Zamfara recorded 1,203 victims, according to the assessment.

Read also: Nasarawa kidnapping risk tests investor confidence

The security challenge was further illustrated in July when at least 30 people were killed in an attack on Naridon village in Kaduna State, according to Reuters, which cited residents.

Local intelligence as a security asset

Nwachukwu said that residents often have information about local movements, terrain and emerging disputes that could help security agencies identify threats.

Traditional rulers could support early warning and mediation because of their knowledge of local communities, while religious leaders could contribute to conflict prevention and efforts to counter extremist narratives, he said.

Youth organisations, he added, could strengthen early-warning systems through their community and digital networks.

But Nwachukwu said community stakeholders should not assume the powers of professional security agencies.

“Arrest, investigation, prosecution and the use of force must remain the responsibility of legally constituted authorities,” he said.

Nwachukwu said that community intelligence would only be useful if residents trust security agencies and believe credible information will be acted upon.

He proposed confidential reporting channels based on observation, verification, secure reporting, professional assessment, response and feedback.

He also warned that reports could be distorted by rumours, political interests, local disputes or misinformation, making professional verification essential before operational action.

Nwachukwu said insecurity can make it harder for businesses and households to move people and goods, access farms and markets and maintain commercial activity.

The ransom figures reported by SBM Intelligence show the financial dimension of kidnapping but do not measure the wider economic cost of insecurity.

He advocated linking community-security initiatives with agriculture, education, vocational training, employment and entrepreneurship, while stressing that development programmes cannot substitute for policing and law enforcement.

For businesses, the relevant question is whether better local intelligence can produce earlier warnings, faster responses and fewer disruptions to legitimate economic activity.

The proposed model also carries risks, including political interference, criminal infiltration, misinformation, ethnic profiling, sectarian mobilisation and extrajudicial actions.

Nwachukwu opposed indiscriminate arming of civilians, saying community groups should focus on early warning, information sharing, mediation, public education and prevention.

Professional security agencies, he said, should retain responsibility for enforcement.

Nwachukwu proposed Community Security and Peace Committees at ward, village and district levels, comprising traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women representatives, police officers and other relevant government institutions.

The proposed committees would handle early warning, intelligence referral, conflict prevention, mediation, public education and post-conflict reconciliation.

Their performance, he said, should be assessed through credible warnings generated, response times, disputes resolved, community trust and rights-related complaints, rather than the number of meetings held.

The WCSA remains a framework proposed by Nwachukwu at the conference, not an adopted government policy.

Its effectiveness would depend on clear legal responsibilities, professional intelligence verification, protection of informants, timely security response and accountability.

For the private sector, the ultimate test would be whether the approach reduces disruption, improves access to markets and productive assets and creates a safer operating environment without creating parallel or unaccountable security structures.