A retired deputy comptroller of the Nigerian Customs Service, Idris Yahaya, has urged the Federal Government to transform Nigeria’s Homeland Security Office into a standalone department under the Presidency.
Yahaya said such an arrangement would enable the office to communicate directly with President Bola Tinubu and respond more quickly to urgent security situations without being slowed down by bureaucratic procedures.
He made the recommendation on Friday during an interview in Lagos while reacting to the appointment of retired general Adeyinka Famadewa as the President’s Special Adviser on Homeland Security.
The security expert welcomed Famadewa’s appointment, describing it as a timely decision given the retired general’s experience in intelligence gathering and security matters.
According to Yahaya, placing homeland security directly under the Presidency would make it easier to escalate critical issues to the President and secure immediate intervention when necessary.
He explained that operating as a special adviser’s office could create additional administrative steps that might delay responses to emergencies.
Yahaya also praised Tinubu for creating the homeland security office, saying its establishment came at a period when the country was dealing with several security threats.
He noted that the new structure could strengthen the work of existing security agencies by providing additional support in areas such as internal security, counter-terrorism, cybercrime and disaster management.
The former customs officer expressed confidence that the initiative, if properly implemented, could contribute to reducing kidnapping, insurgency, cybercrime and other forms of insecurity across the country.
(NAN)