Don wants security agencies to shun inter-agency rivalry
By Suleiman Shehu
Rivalry
Ibadan, March 14, 2018 (NAN) Dr Peter Olapegba, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, has called on security agencies in Nigeria to shun inter-agency rivalry and see one another as collaborators.
Olapegba who made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday said that inter-agency rivalry among the country’s security outfits hampered crime fighting.
According to him, operatives of the various security agencies had in many occasions engaged one another in physical combat, torture and shooting.
“Experience over the years has shown that inter-agency rivalry, particularly among security agencies is common in Nigeria.
“The cooperation among security agencies is at very low ebb in Nigeria,” he said.
The psychologist said security agencies needed to synergise and jointly pursue their overall objective keeping the country safe.
“For instance, in the border areas, the police cannot effectively fight crime without cooperating with the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Customs Service.
“The police cannot fight crime internally without cooperating with the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other agencies.
“They need to cooperate with one another in the area of intelligence exchange.
“The immigration may have particular information on an issue which does not fall under its jurisdiction, but under the jurisdiction of the police,” he said.
Olapegba said that if there was no synergy among the agencies such information may not be passed to the appropriate quarters for the necessary swift action.
“Without the sharing of intelligence, concerned agencies cannot swiftly take actions to nip crime in the bud,” he said. (NAN)
SYS/MAS/EMO
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Edited by Moses Solanke/Ejike Obeta