The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has raised the alarm over the persistent threats to Nigeria’s internal security, blaming the nation’s porous borders and the chronic underfunding of the police for the country’s fragile safety architecture.
Speaking on Tuesday, Tunji-Ojo expressed deep concern over the insufficient budgetary allocation to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), which he said is responsible for guarding the country’s expansive 4,024km borders with just N10 billion.
“Are we joking?” the minister asked rhetorically. “You want to protect over 4,000 square kilometres of border with N10 billion? If you kill one terrorist and the border remains porous, 20 more will enter.”
He warned that Nigeria risks worsening its security challenges unless urgent reforms are made to bolster border security and reposition internal security agencies.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is also grossly underpowered, not only in funding but in operational autonomy.
“Our police shouldn’t be relying on budgetary allocations to function,” he said. “A police force that depends on capital releases and delayed appropriations can never be efficient.”
The minister said it is high time the nation stopped glorifying military intervention in civil matters, describing such expectations as indicative of systemic failure in internal security.
“When Nigerians think of security, the first thing that comes to mind is the military,” he noted. “That in itself is a clear sign that internal security institutions are not trusted to deliver.”
Tunji-Ojo, however, commended the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for what he described as “exceptional leadership and intelligence competence.”
On cyber threats, the minister criticized Nigeria’s current cybersecurity framework, calling it outdated and haphazard.
“We’re operating a cybersecurity structure that belongs in the last century. We cannot continue on an ad hoc basis. There must be a proper framework to tackle 21st-century threats.”
He urged a holistic and pragmatic overhaul of Nigeria’s internal security approach, emphasizing that real progress can only come from strategic investment, legislative reforms, and an honest national conversation about priorities.
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