Atiku's Claims on Security Agencies Debunked

Strategic Insights -

During an interview with Arise Television's Reuben Abati and Tundun Abiola, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, made claims about Nigeria's security agencies. He stated that if elected, his government would ensure fair and balanced appointments to security agencies, and that currently, 17 security agencies in the country are being headed by a particular section of the country. However, an analysis by Daily Trust has found that one of these claims is false, and the other is not completely true.

Key Takeaways:

  • Atiku's claim that Nigeria has 17 federal security agencies is **FALSE**. The major security agencies in Nigeria are 10, consisting of the State Security Services (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the armed forces (comprising the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air force), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
  • The security expert, Bello Abdulmajid, stated that Atiku might have combined law enforcement agencies and civil outfits with security agencies, making the total number appear to be 17.
  • In reality, some agencies like the NDLEA, ICPC, and EFCC are law enforcement agencies and not security agencies.
  • The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is also a civil agency and not a security agency, despite some of its functions.
  • The presence of law enforcement agencies and civil outfits among the total number of agencies creates confusion.
  • The majority of the national security agencies are headed by people from northern Nigeria, but there are also those headed by southerners.
  • Daily Trust checks show that although many of the heads of security agencies are from Northern Nigeria, the claim by Mr. Atiku is false as some of them also come from the southern part of the country.

Statistics:

  • The major security agencies in Nigeria are 10, consisting of the State Security Services (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the armed forces (comprising the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air force), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
  • Despite Atiku's claim, the majority of security agencies are headed by people from northern Nigeria (7 out of 10).

Sources:

  • Bello Abdulmajid, Security Expert
  • Kabiru Adamu, Security Expert
  • Atiku Abubakar, PDP Presidential Candidate
  • Daily Trust
  • Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)