A PRNigeria’s analysis of the leadership structure within Nigeria’s military, paramilitary, and allied security agencies reveals a significant imbalance in regional representation.
Of the 22 key institutions responsible for safeguarding national security, the North West and South West account for a substantial majority.
They hold 14 leadership positions: Eight from the North West and six from the South West.
The remaining four geopolitical zones share only eight leadership roles.
President Bola Tinubu retained some of the appointees of his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, while also making several appointments for the heads of the security organisations in his administration.
The South East and South South have two leadership positions, an unsettling statistics regarding the adequacy of regional representation in the nation’s security apparatus.
PRNigeria report indicates that the eight heads of agencies from the North West cut across different sectors of the critical institutions.
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The key figures are General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff; CG Haliru Nababa, Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service; DIG Hashimu Arugungu (retd.), Chairman of the Police Service Commission: CM Shehu Mohammed, Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission; Zubaida Umar, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency; and Ja’afaru Ahmed, Board Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board.
The six leaders of the security services from the South West are primarily in charge of lead agencies in the military, security and intelligence sectors.
These are Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, Acting Chief of Army Staff, who now replaces late Taoreed Lagbaja; IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police; Adeola Ajayi, Director General of the Department of State Services; Olanipekun Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service; and Kemi Nandap, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The North East has three heads, likewise the North Central.
Those from the North East are Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser; Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency; and Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, the newly-appointed Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The key positions of leadership from the North Central consist of Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, Director General of the National Intelligence Agency; Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps; and Engr: Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu, Controller General of the Federal Fire Service.
While the South East is represented by Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff, the South South is represented by Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence.
PRNigeria further reports that certain states such as Kebbi, Kaduna, Ekiti, and Adamawa emerge as notable centres of power, housing multiple key security positions, which risks fostering perceptions of favouritism among regions that are underrepresented in significant leadership roles.
See more and table of distribution in this link: https://prnigeria.com/2024/11/07/nigeria-security-leadership/
PRNigeria.
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