Insecurity: Expert advocates PPP in intelligence sharing

A security expert, Dr Ona Ekhomu, has urged the Federal Government to adopt public-private-partnership initiative in intelligence gathering and sharing to curtail insecurity.

Ekhomu, who is the President, Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, made the appeal in an interview with NAN on Tuesday in Lagos.

He noted that intelligence gathering from the community level would increase information flow and enhance the intelligence cycle for effective planning.

“Information gathering is a very important tool for effective planning to curb the menace of insecurity and reduce the increasing rate of crime in any country,” he said.

He suggested that intelligence hotlines should be provided to licensed private security companies and to community leaders to get first-hand information on security.

Ekhomu added that collaboration of all security agencies with support from the public would reduce the menace of insecurity in Nigeria.

“Any person who notices strange movement in his neighbourhoods may not know how to transmit this information to the public intelligence agencies for necessary action.

“With this initiative in place it becomes easy for such person to transmit the information through the private security company,” he said.

He also called on the government to stipulate severe punishment for an unauthorised release of such intelligence information.

Ekhonu appealed to the youths to engage themselves on vocational and skill acquisition programme.

He said such programme would distance the youths from vices and make them to be useful to the society.