Former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson, has called for sweeping reforms of Nigeria’s internal security architecture, saying the country cannot defeat insecurity without rebuilding the police and strengthening the legal framework for tackling crime.
Speaking on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the First Daily sixth anniversary public lecture and national dialogue on security in Abuja, Dickson said Nigeria must move beyond ad hoc responses by pursuing sustained national dialogue and institutional reforms to address its security challenges.
He identified the collapse of the country’s internal policing system as a major factor behind the worsening insecurity, arguing that it has forced the military into roles beyond its constitutional mandate.
“The collapse of the police system and the internal security mechanisms is a major challenge,” he said.
Dickson noted that while the Armed Forces are primarily responsible for defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity, they have become the country’s frontline internal security agency because of weaknesses in policing.
READ ALSO: First Daily Marks Sixth Anniversary With National Security Dialogue In Abuja
“The military’s primary responsibility is the defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity. What was meant to be a subsidiary role in internal security has now become its main assignment, leaving the armed forces overstretched,” he said.
He maintained that restoring the effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force should be a national priority, stressing that the country’s security crisis cannot be resolved through military deployments alone.
“It’s not just military, military, military,” he said, urging deliberate efforts to strengthen institutions responsible for maintaining law and order.
The senator also advocated stronger security legislation and urged governments at all levels to address the root causes of criminality alongside law enforcement, insisting that sustainable peace requires both institutional reform and preventive measures.
Dickson spoke at the First Daily National Dialogue on Security, themed “Declaration of State of Emergency on Insecurity: Matching Words With Action,” which brought together government officials, security experts, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss practical solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.