Wants Tinubu to leverage on 187,000 personnel strength
Alex Enumah in Abuja
Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) has urged the federal government to look beyond conventional methods and embrace strategic, non-kinetic partnerships in tackling the worsening insecurity and safeguard the country from terrorists, bandits and other criminals.
The appeal, it said, was based on the recognition that national security is an expansive ecosystem requiring specialised auxiliary agencies, rather than complete reliance on a few kinetic, heavily armed formations.
Speaking at a media briefing in commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the PCN, the National Commandant, Dr Dickson Akoh, observed that by deliberately engaging the country’s “vast youth population in structured, intelligence-driven civil defense, we can effectively secure our vulnerable spaces and restore lasting peace to Nigeria”.
Akoh, commended the bold steps taken by President Bola Tinubu, toward restructuring the nation’s security architecture, describing the move as a timely and rational initiative which holds immense potential for restoring long-term law and order.
The national commandant suggested that for Nigeria to ensure sustainable public safety, the federal government should adopt successful global models from advanced societies like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Brazil.
“These nations recognise that national security is an expansive ecosystem requiring specialized auxiliary agencies, rather than a burden placed entirely on a few kinetic, heavily armed formations.
“Consequently, Nigeria’s contemporary security threats can be more effectively tamed by fully integrating the economic and administrative doctrine of the division of labor into our defense framework. Forcing overstretched conventional security agencies to stray from their primary mandates to cover every soft target dilutes operational focus, fuels jurisdictional friction, and leaves vital spaces vulnerable.
“By embracing a multi-tiered approach that utilises auxiliary structures for non-kinetic interventions, the nation can optimise grassroots surveillance while allowing core military and police forces to concentrate fully on high-level combat and specialised policing”, he said.
Akoh accordingly appealed to the President to leverage the corps’ extensive presence and robust numerical strength of over 187,000 personnel by formally accommodating the organisation within this strategic restructuring.
“Our teeming members are uniquely positioned to optimise the nation’s security architecture through crucial, non-kinetic interventions.
“Acting as a grassroots information network, our personnel are equipped to gather and transmit localised safety data directly to conventional security agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser, ensuring swift, preemptive action against emerging threats before they escalate.
“Furthermore, our deployment model provides immediate relief to overstretched conventional forces by absorbing neighborhood watch, school safety, and soft-target management burdens, thereby allowing the military and police to focus entirely on core combat and high-level policing,” it stressed.
Simultaneously, the corps stated that it serves as a vital youth orientation pipeline that profiles, disciplines, and prepares young Nigerians for structured civic service or future enlistment into military and paramilitary formations.
“Through these complementary strategies, the Peace Corps of Nigeria effectively transforms youth vulnerability into a proactive, nationwide asset for sustainable peace and national security. As we earnestly await the final concurrence and passage of this vital establishment legislation by the Senate, we maintain absolute faith in our vision,” it stated.
