By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, says there is need to allow some level of armament for the communities so that they can serve as the first line of defence in tackling insecurity.

Ajayi stated this at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS), on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that Nigeria should start experimenting how it can make the community be the first line of defence, citing an incident in Azare in Bauchi State where the community stood against the Boko Haram terrorists and defeated them.

According to him, the practical approach to mobilising people is that you have to get everyone involved.

?You do not expect the Nigerian army, police, DSS, to protect every Nigerian. It is not going to work.

?How can you create the first line of defence? The military, police, and other security agencies have to deal with the bigger ones, like organised crime.

?It is unimaginable that any security agencies have the resources to deploy to every community.

?What we have to start experimenting with is how we can make the community be a fist in the first line of defense.

?We have to allow some level of armament for the communities and they can serve as the first line of defence,? he said.

Ajayi urged the stakeholders at the event to ensure that the discussions would not just end as mere talk shows, adding that actionable steps should be taken to tackle the menace of insecurity in the country.

He commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa for championing enhanced collaboration between the military and other security agencies in the country. (NAN)

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