A former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, has dropped a bombshell that will send chills down the spine of every South-West resident.

The security expert has revealed that terrorists are now relocating from the North to the South-West, and he also disclosed the one major reason Nigeria is losing the war against insecurity.

According to Ejiofor, the failure to establish state police remains the biggest hindrance to tackling terrorism, kidnapping, and other security threats ravaging the nation.

 

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Terrorists Changing Strategy – Ex-DSS Boss Speaks

In an interview with Vanguard, Ejiofor dismissed claims that the rising wave of attacks in the South-West is due to intelligence failure.

He explained that intelligence is available, but action agencies are often ill-equipped, underfunded, and understaffed to act swiftly.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an intelligence failure. I have always maintained that even when intelligence is provided, the action agencies may lack the capacity to act, not through any fault of their own, but because they are ill-equipped, underfunded, and understaffed,” Ejiofor said.

He pointed to the conviction of suspects linked to the Owo attack as proof that intelligence gathering is still active.

“You saw the conviction of the Owo suspects; that was due to good intelligence, even though the incident happened in 2022; they were traced and arrested,” he added.

Why Terrorists Are Heading to South-West

Ejiofor dropped a major revelation: terrorist activity has shifted geographically because of pressure from security operations in the North.

“It began in the North-East, and when pressure increased there, they relocated to the North-West, and now they are moving South, concentrating on the South-West, which has a larger concentration of Muslims than the South-South or South-East,” he stated.

The former DSS director clarified that he was not saying the South-West is predominantly Muslim, but that it has a larger Muslim population than the South-East and South-South.

“Their aim is to instill fear. Beheading or abducting people is meant to terrorise the population; that is the core of terrorism, and to discredit the government,” Ejiofor added.

State Police: The Solution Nigeria Refuses to Implement

Ejiofor did not mince words. He said the absence of state police is one of the biggest weaknesses in Nigeria’s security architecture.

According to him, major stakeholders – including state governments, the Federal Government, and the National Assembly – have agreed in principle on state police, but implementation has stalled.

“Establishing state police is one of the surest and fastest ways to check this menace,” Ejiofor declared.

He explained that state forces would be drawn from local communities, know the terrain, and work in collaboration with federal police. They would increase manpower and be better equipped.

Vigilante Groups Cannot Stop Terrorists

The security expert also dismissed the reliance on vigilante groups, noting that they lack sophisticated weapons.

“Vigilante groups lack sophisticated weapons and cannot confront marauders who possess prohibited firearms,” he said.

Police Lack Local Knowledge – A Major Flaw

Ejiofor pointed out a critical flaw in the current policing structure: officers are often posted to areas where they do not understand the language, culture, or terrain.

And just when they begin to learn the environment, they are transferred again.

“The Nigerian Police Force is not well equipped in many respects. Officers are posted to areas they don’t know, lacking language skills and cultural familiarity, and are transferred again before they learn the terrain,” Ejiofor lamented.

“I don’t see why state police cannot be established immediately; that is a major step in checking this menace,” he added.

Ejiofor’s Verdict: Security Failure Is Collective Failure

The former DSS director had a sobering message for Nigerians.

“If they say security has failed, that means all of us have failed,” he said.

He noted that government is primarily responsible for the welfare and security of citizens, but citizens must also contribute by supporting security agencies with credible information.

“The first line of defence remains the people,” Ejiofor stressed.

What Nigeria Must Do Now

Ejiofor concluded that Nigeria must urgently address:

· Poor funding of security agencies
· Inadequate training
· Insufficient personnel
· Weak welfare packages
· And most importantly – establish state police

“These problems are local, and the solutions must be local,” he said.

Ejes Gist News Verdict

As terrorists allegedly shift their focus to the South-West, the question on every Nigerian’s mind is: Will the Federal Government finally listen and establish state police, or are we waiting for another major tragedy?

South-West governors and traditional rulers have repeatedly called for state police. Now, a former DSS insider is backing that call.

What do you think?
Should Nigeria establish state police to tackle terrorism? Or will it be abused by state governors? Drop your opinion in the comments below. Let’s gist!