Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd), has said that the nation’s worsening insecurity is largely driven by a weak justice system and growing deficit of public trust.

Speaking during the Law Week organised by the Warri branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Irabor said the absence of “sufficient justice” fueled insurgency, banditry and terrorism across the country.

“When trust dies, citizens resort to self-help. People are losing faith in law enforcement institutions and now depend on vigilantes for protection,” he said.

He emphasized that public trust in the administration of justice is fundamental to national development, warning that no meaningful progress can be achieved without security anchored on a credible legal system.

Irabor, however, advocated sweeping reforms, including full financial autonomy for the judiciary, improved collaboration among security agencies, and urgent upgrades in operational tools available to both the Armed Forces and the Police.

He decried what he described as gross underfunding of the security sector, alleging that only about seven per cent of budgetary provisions are released to meet the needs of security agencies.

“There is a clear gap in the tools available to security agencies. The Armed Forces and the Police operate with similar limitations. This must change,” he said.

Irabor called for strengthened community policing and local engagement strategies to address insecurity, while warning that rising poverty levels pose a grave threat to national safety. (Weekend Trust, but headline rejigged)