Defence chief advocates border walls, national database to tackle insecurity
By: Zagazola Makama
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has underscored the urgent need to build security walls along parts of Nigeria’s borders and develop a comprehensive national database to address insecurity.
Musa, who made the call while speaking on the country’s security situation, on Channel Television said that a combination of physical border protection and digital surveillance was crucial to curbing cross-border crimes, terrorism, and banditry.
According to him, Nigeria shares over 1,500 kilometres of porous borders that have over the years served as escape routes for criminals, smugglers, and terrorist groups.
“One critical area I have always preached is that we must build walls in certain parts of the Northeast. If we are able to take it out and secure it fully, then we can reduce infiltration drastically.
“But it is not only about building walls. When you put the walls, you must integrate technology – cameras, drones and monitoring devices – so that anybody crossing is immediately detected,” he said.
Musa stressed that the absence of a reliable and unified national database had continued to hamper Nigeria’s security efforts. He explained that unlike in advanced countries where biometric and digital records made it easy to track criminals, Nigeria still relied on fragmented systems.
“We must never shy away from developing a national database. It is critical for internal security and governance. Every Nigerian should have a single unique identity a form of social security number that captures fingerprints, facial recognition, vehicles, houses and addresses.
“When you commit a crime abroad, the chances of being caught are high because your information is in a central system. That is what Nigeria must do – compress all our details into one document. That way, we know who owns what, where, and when,” he said.
The Defence Chief disclosed that the Armed Forces were already working closely with the Ministry of Interior on initiatives to remotely and digitally monitor Nigeria’s borders.
He described the collaboration as a positive step, but emphasised that scaling up and backing the efforts with modern technology and legislation would yield better results.
“The Ministry of Interior has shared some of the innovations they are working on and we exchange ideas regularly. It is working, but we must do more and expand it nationally. If we combine border walls, surveillance technology and a unified database, then insecurity will be significantly reduced,” Musa said.
He further noted that such measures would not only improve security but also enhance planning, governance, and socio-economic development.
“Having a database is not just about fighting crime, it also helps us plan better for education, healthcare, infrastructure and even the economy. It is a win-win,” he added.
Musa called on Nigerians to support the initiative, stressing that national security required collective sacrifice and commitment.
