Representatives of public relations units from Nigeria’s military, police and paramilitary organisations have renewed their commitment to working together in Ogun State, with senior security officials arguing that closer cooperation has helped prevent crime.

The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the Ogun State Military, Police and Paramilitary Public Relations Officers’ Forum (MILPOPROOF) to the State Commander of the Ogun State So-Safe Corps, Cmdr. (Dr.) Soji Ganzallo, at the agency’s headquarters in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, on 27 July.

The meeting brought together communication officers from the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Fire Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ogun State Fire Service, TRACE, Amotekun Corps and the So-Safe Corps.

Although described as a routine courtesy visit, the meeting highlighted a broader issue facing security agencies across Nigeria: how to improve coordination in tackling crime while maintaining public confidence.

Speaking during the meeting, Cmdr. Ganzallo argued that security could not be handled by a single organisation.

“Security is not the job of one security agency. Successes can only be achieved if all security agencies and by extension, residents come to the knowledge it is a collective responsibility.”

He also said:

“On several occasions, arrests have been made and crimes have been averted due to collaboration and information and knowledge sharing among the agencies in Ogun State.”

The Commander also stressed the importance of public relations officers in shaping public trust.

“Every Public Relations Officer… is the major determinant of how the citizens define their organisations.”

He urged officers to maintain professionalism, consistency and loyalty in carrying out their duties.

Earlier, the chairman of MILPOPROOF, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, thanked the So-Safe Corps leadership for hosting the forum and said the cooperation among security spokespersons reflects the collaboration already taking place among agency commanders.

The forum also acknowledged the role of the So-Safe Corps’ Director of Information and Public Relations, ACC Adegunwa Adegbuyi, who serves as the forum’s secretary.

Why does this matter?

Ogun State’s location, bordering Lagos and several neighbouring states, makes effective coordination between security agencies particularly important. The state has faced challenges ranging from kidnapping and armed robbery to cult-related violence and highway crimes.

Security analysts have long argued that intelligence sharing between agencies can reduce duplication of effort and improve emergency response. However, they also note that successful collaboration should be measured through transparent reporting, prosecution outcomes and public safety indicators rather than institutional meetings alone.

The Federal Government has repeatedly encouraged joint security operations across Nigeria, while state-backed outfits such as the So-Safe Corps and Amotekun have increasingly worked alongside federal agencies in intelligence gathering and community policing.

Independent security experts say such meetings can strengthen institutional relationships, but their effectiveness ultimately depends on whether they translate into improved safety for residents.

For the public, the key question remains whether enhanced cooperation among security agencies will produce measurable improvements in tackling crime rather than simply reinforcing existing partnerships.

As Nigeria continues to grapple with kidnapping, terrorism, cybercrime and organised criminal activity, security practitioners gathered in Lagos this week for the Tochlight Africa Safety Summit and Awards 2026, with organisers calling for stronger cooperation between government agencies, businesses and local communities.

The summit, held at the NERDC Conference Hall in Alausa, Ikeja, focused on the theme “Securing Nigeria’s Future: Building Strategic Alliances Against Evolving Threats.”

The event comes as Nigeria continues to face persistent security pressures despite increased government spending on defence, policing and intelligence operations. Official data and independent security trackers have consistently shown that kidnappings, violent attacks and organised crime remain major concerns across several states, while cyber-enabled crimes continue to grow.

The organisers said the summit was designed to encourage dialogue on terrorism, kidnapping, piracy, cybercrime, banditry, organised crime and communal conflicts.

They also identified poverty, youth unemployment, political violence, religious extremism, weak family structures and the recruitment of vulnerable young people into criminal activities as factors contributing to insecurity.

While these concerns are widely recognised by security experts, the effectiveness of conferences and policy discussions depends largely on whether recommendations are implemented through legislation, funding, institutional reforms and improved coordination among security agencies.

Collaboration remains a recurring recommendation

Calls for stronger cooperation between security agencies are not new.

Over the years, government committees, security conferences and policy documents have repeatedly recommended improved intelligence sharing, community policing and closer collaboration between federal and state institutions.

Although Nigeria has introduced several security initiatives including expanded intelligence operations, technology-driven surveillance and community policing programmes, experts have continued to point to coordination challenges, inadequate resources and slow implementation as obstacles.

Against that backdrop, participants at the Tochlight Africa summit discussed intelligence gathering, border security, cybersecurity, joint operations, regional cooperation and public-private partnerships.

They also examined broader social issues including youth empowerment, education, poverty reduction and public trust in security institutions.

Panel focuses on practical security responses

One of the summit’s major sessions featured security professionals discussing collaborative approaches to emerging threats.

Panelists included:

Seun Abolurin, Public Relations Officer, NSCDC Lagos State Command.

Comrade Babatunde Raji of Metropolitan Guard and Enterprise Ltd.

Prof. Temitope Odubela, Commander, Vigilante Group of Nigeria Anti-Robbery Unit, Lagos State.

ACN Olagoke Balogun, Commander, NDLEA Maryland/Mende Command, Ikeja.

The discussion centred on intelligence sharing, crime prevention, drug control, public safety advocacy and strengthening partnerships between government institutions and local communities.

Security analysts have long argued that community participation can improve intelligence gathering, but caution that such approaches require adequate training, accountability and respect for human rights to succeed.

Awards recognise security personnel and organisations

The summit also honoured security officers, private organisations and community leaders for contributions to crime prevention, public safety and community development.

Recipients included police officers, NDLEA officials, private security practitioners and corporate representatives.

Award recipients included:

Alhaji Babatunde Ibrahim (RC Cola)

SP Banti Adamu

SP Godwin Abraham

CSP Balogun Gboyega

CSP Cirman Sunday

CSP Bello Mumini Ajao

ACN Olagoke Balogun

Mr Adebowale Shakiru

Comrade Babatunde Raji

While recognition programmes can boost morale and public confidence, they do not in themselves address structural challenges such as funding constraints, manpower shortages, equipment deficits and criminal justice reforms, which analysts say remain critical to improving national security.

Organisers call for shared responsibility

According to the organisers, security cannot be achieved by government alone.

They said lasting peace requires cooperation among government institutions, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, businesses and citizens.

“Security remains everyone’s responsibility and can only be sustained through cooperation among government institutions, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, the private sector and citizens.”

The organisers added:

“Lasting peace and sustainable economic development can only thrive in a secure environment.”

What remains to be seen

The summit reflects growing recognition that Nigeria’s security challenges extend beyond military responses and require social, economic and institutional solutions.

However, the key question remains whether discussions from such forums will influence policy decisions, strengthen coordination among agencies or lead to measurable improvements in public safety.

For many Nigerians affected by insecurity, success will ultimately be judged not by conferences or awards, but by reductions in violent crime, improved safety and increased public confidence in security institutions.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted cocaine, synthetic cannabis and opioids with an estimated street value of more than N10 billion in a series of operations across Lagos, while arresting several suspects it described as key figures in international drug trafficking networks.

The agency also said it recovered 401 rounds of military-grade ammunition concealed in containers of palm oil in Kaduna and Katsina states, raising fresh concerns over the links between organised crime and the illegal movement of weapons.

The seizures come as Nigeria continues efforts to curb international drug trafficking, with traffickers increasingly using legitimate cargo, courier services and export shipments to conceal illegal substances destined for Europe and other markets.

Businessman arrested over UK-bound cocaine shipment

NDLEA said one of those arrested was Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, a 55-year-old clothing trader at Lagos’ Balogun Market.

According to the agency, he was arrested on Thursday after investigators linked him to an attempt to export 3.3kg of cocaine hidden inside the walls of cartons containing food items destined for the United Kingdom.

The cocaine had been intercepted a day earlier at the export section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Investigators said the arrest followed a chain of investigations that initially led to the detention of three cargo agents before another suspect, Kenneth Okakpu, allegedly identified Onuigbo as the person behind the shipment.

NDLEA said he was arrested while allegedly attempting to dispatch another cocaine consignment to the UK.

Synthetic cannabis and opioids seized

In a separate operation, the agency said officers arrested Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, 31, at her residence in Surulere after intercepting 2.8kg of Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, allegedly imported from the United States.

The agency also announced the recovery of 2.24 million pills of Tapentadol 250mg, an opioid pain medication frequently abused illegally.

NDLEA estimated the consignment, which arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight, to have a street value of more than N2.2 billion.

Officials also intercepted another shipment containing tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap that was allegedly being prepared for export to the United Kingdom through a courier company in Lagos.

Cannabis worth N7.1bn hidden in vehicles

At Apapa Port, NDLEA officers uncovered 2,388.5kg of Canadian Loud concealed inside three imported vehicles packed in a shipping container.

The agency estimated the illicit drugs to have a street value exceeding N7.1 billion.

Drug trafficking experts say criminal networks increasingly exploit international shipping routes and vehicle imports because they attract less suspicion than conventional drug packages.

Military-grade ammunition recovered

Away from drug seizures, NDLEA officers also intercepted suspected ammunition traffickers during separate operations.

The agency said Mustapha Sani, 30, was arrested in Katsina State with 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, while Abubakar Amadu, also 30, was apprehended along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition hidden inside kegs of palm oil.

NDLEA said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security agencies for further investigation.

Security analysts have repeatedly warned that the illegal movement of ammunition contributes to insecurity across parts of Nigeria, where armed criminal groups continue to operate.

Cannabis warehouse raided in Edo

In Edo State, the agency said officers raided a warehouse in Ilushi community, recovering 1,286kg of cannabis and 86kg of cannabis seeds.

Two additional suspects were also arrested with quantities of cannabis during follow-up operations, according to NDLEA.

Agency continues anti-drug awareness campaign

Beyond enforcement, the agency said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools and communities across several states, including Lagos, Kano and Niger.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations.

While praising personnel from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), MMIA, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina commands, he urged them to sustain what he described as the agency’s balanced approach to drug control through enforcement and public education.

Why it matters

Nigeria remains a major transit route for international drug trafficking because of its strategic location and extensive air and maritime connections.

Security experts say successful interceptions not only prevent illegal drugs from reaching overseas markets but also disrupt criminal networks that often engage in other organised crimes, including money laundering, arms trafficking and violent offences.

Public health specialists also warn that opioids such as tramadol and Tapentadol have contributed to rising cases of drug dependence among young people in Nigeria, making enforcement and prevention efforts equally important.

What happens next?

NDLEA said investigations into the various suspects and trafficking networks are continuing.

Those found guilty of drug trafficking offences under Nigerian law could face lengthy prison sentences and asset forfeiture.