• Corruption, lack of patriotism threaten national security, says ex-DSS chief, Amachree

Linus Aleke in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has assured Nigerians, especially parents, that the trend of attacks on schools would soon be a thing of the past, as the police have put in place measures to counter such incidents.

Disu said in Minna, Niger State, that part of the measures was “the activation of mechanisms aimed at protecting educational institutions and ensuring children continue their studies without intimidation”.

Addressing officers and men of Niger State Police Command, through Deputy Inspector General of Police, North Central Zone, Alhaji Ishyaku Mohammed, Disu assured parents and guardians that the police high command “is on top of the menace of attacks on schools” leading to kidnap of children by bandits.

He disclosed, “We have a School Protection Unit headed by a Chief Superintendent of Police, and we are providing all the necessary support.

“We have also outlined protocols for school owners to follow so that we can mitigate this madness of attacks on schools, very soon these attacks will be a thing of the past.”

He also allayed the fears in the state that the Lakurawa terrorist group had invaded the state through Zuguruma town, saying the police are on top of the situation and have directed immediate intervention.

Mohammed said the IGP had deployed all DIGs to their respective geo-political zones to assess peculiar security challenges for immediate action

Disu appreciated officers and men of the force for their sacrifices and commitment to the fight against crime. He called on the public to support security agencies with credible information and collective efforts to tackle criminality.

“The fight against crime is a collective responsibility, we need the support of all stakeholders and members of the public. Together, we will overcome these challenges,” he declared

Niger State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abdullahi Elleman, told the DIG that the state’s vast landmass, difficult terrain, and extensive forests had continued to pose serious operational challenges to his men, especially in the Niger North Senatorial District.

Graft, Lack of Patriotism Threaten National Security, Says Ex-DSS Director, Amachree

A retired Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, warned that corruption and lack of patriotism within Nigeria’s political class constituted grave threat to national security.

Amachree stated that political leaders had become active architects of instability, largely due to their failure to deliver the dividends of democracy to the populace in many instances.

He made the assertions in a book presented during the 40th anniversary of DSS, Nigeria’s principal domestic intelligence agency, established in 1986 following the dissolution of National Security Organisation (NSO).

Its other successor agencies included National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

In the 348-page publication, titled, “DSS@40: My Journey Behind The Shield,” the author offered an insider’s account of decades of intelligence work, highlighting the challenges, sacrifices, and responsibilities involved in safeguarding national interests.

Through detailed narratives of intelligence gathering, counterintelligence operations, crisis management, and the protection of strategic national assets, Amachree shed light on the often unseen realities of the profession.

Substantiating his concerns in Chapter 18, he wrote, “The endemic corruption and profound lack of patriotism among Nigeria’s political class represent a fundamental threat to national security, one that arguably surpasses external adversaries.

“Rather than providing the stewardship required to stabilise a nation in decline, political leaders have become active architects of instability.

“Their actions and systemic inaction have transformed the state from a protector of the people into a primary driver of socioeconomic collapse.”

In his analysis of what he termed the “anatomy of political sabotage,” the security expert argued that Nigeria’s current security challenges were not solely the result of insurgent or criminal activities.

He maintained that the situation “is a direct symptom of political failure,” concluding that the country is on a “slippery slope” driven by governance deficits and entrenched dysfunction.