Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Communication and Strategy, High Chief Abednego Don Evarada, has urged the Federal Government to adopt community-based security to tackle Nigeria’s growing insecurity.
Evarada said stronger collaboration between security agencies and local communities would improve intelligence gathering and help combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
He spoke at the 2026 Feast of Barracuda organised by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Oxbow Marino Deck, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Delivering a keynote lecture titled, “Security Challenges and National Security: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Nigerian Security Architecture,” Evarada said Nigeria faces one of its most complex security crises.
He listed terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, piracy, oil theft, cultism, cybercrime, separatist agitations, farmer-herder conflicts and organised criminal networks as major threats stretching the nation’s security institutions.
According to him, tragic incidents such as the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction and the Owo church attack exposed serious weaknesses in intelligence gathering, threat assessment and rapid response.
He said the attacks also revealed poor coordination between security agencies and local communities.
“The lesson from these attacks is clear. Security agencies know the terrain but not always the people, while communities know the people but often do not trust security agencies. Criminals exploit that gap,” he said.
Evarada noted that although Nigeria operates one of the world’s most centralised policing systems, the arrangement has significant operational limitations.
He said the federal-controlled policing structure promotes national coordination and uniform standards but struggles to respond effectively across Nigeria’s vast territory and diverse communities.
“No centralised structure, regardless of its resources, can effectively monitor every village, creek, forest or urban settlement from a distant command centre,” he said.
He added that delayed responses, weak local intelligence and limited community trust continue to undermine national security efforts.
According to him, criminal networks often possess better knowledge of local communities than the institutions responsible for protecting them.
Evarada urged the Federal Government to study successful security models in other countries that prioritise community policing and citizen participation.
He said community policing encourages intelligence sharing, builds public trust, strengthens early threat detection and makes security a shared responsibility.
“The most successful security systems in the world recognise that lasting security depends on strong partnerships between citizens and security agencies,” he stated.
Earlier, the Steerer of Oxbow Marino Deck, High Chief Douglas Etulankimor Sampson-Eteli, explained the significance of the annual Feast of Barracuda.
He said the event is a flagship programme of the National Association of Seadogs, founded in 1952 by Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka and six others.
Sampson-Eteli explained that the concept originated from the experiences of early seafarers, who regarded the barracuda as a dangerous predator that threatened safe navigation and trade.
According to him, sailors celebrated after defeating the fish, symbolising victory over danger.
He said NAS adopted the barracuda as a metaphor for societal evils that hinder justice, equity and national development.
“Feasting on the barracuda symbolises identifying, confronting and defeating the challenges facing society,” he said.
He added that the annual event combines public lectures, civic engagement and humanitarian activities.
The programme also features the symbolic unveiling and sharing of a barracuda fish.
Sampson-Eteli said NAS chapters worldwide use the Feast of Barracuda to discuss pressing social, political and economic issues affecting society.
He added that the event also supports community development through book donations, medical outreach, orphanage visits and other humanitarian services.