Between January 2021 and December 2023, a distressing number of incidents occurred in Nigeria, as reported by the 2023 Nigeria Security Report from Beacon Consulting, an Abuja-based security risk management and intelligence company.
A staggering 29,828 people lost their lives, and 15,430 individuals were kidnapped during this period.
The report highlighted the widespread impact, with 14,145 attacks taking place across 736 out of the country’s 774 local government areas.
Delving into the yearly breakdown, 2021 witnessed 8,372 fatalities and 5,031 abductions. In 2022, the numbers escalated, with 11,714 people killed and 6,319 abducted.
Despite hopes for improvement in 2023, the grim reality persisted, with 9,742 lives lost and 4,080 individuals abducted.
The Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Consulting, Dr. Kabir Adamu, expressed concerns about the failure of Nigeria’s current security architecture.
He specifically criticized the leadership for not effectively implementing a crucial aspect of this architecture, leading to dire consequences.
Adamu emphasized the lack of operational, financial, and democratic accountability within the security sector.
Operational accountability, in terms of addressing failures that result in loss of lives and assets, was deemed inadequate.
Financial accountability also raised concerns, considering the substantial budget allocations to the security sector without corresponding value for money.
Additionally, Adamu highlighted the absence of democratic accountability, pointing out the failure to convene essential meetings like the National Security Council, which had not taken place since the new government assumed office in May 2023.
He stressed the importance of adhering to the provisions of the security architecture and suggested strengthening institutional capacity within the existing framework.
The CEO underscored the need for compliance with various aspects of the security architecture, such as convening crucial council meetings and appointing an ombudsman for oversight within the intelligence community, as stipulated by the constitution.
the alarming statistics and the critique from Beacon Consulting’s CEO underscore the urgent need for the Nigerian government to address the deficiencies in the security architecture and enhance accountability to effectively safeguard the lives and well-being of its citizens.
