 Well, we're glad that you're still there. We know that there was an explosion in River State and now the police has begun a probe into this issue. We have a security expert with us here this morning who will be talking on the topic. We are glad to welcome Mr. Augusten Ega. Good morning and welcome to the program, sir. Good morning, my pleasure. Okay, we're looking at insecurity in a country grappling with economic issues. We're looking at insecurity as a factor. Now there are explosions in places we've never dreamt there were going to be explosions. Whether it is an explosion from a bomb or explosion from a refinery that is illegal, explosion from anything, lives are being lost. Let's talk about the security situation in our country as we're looking at the problem that happened in Rivers that is now getting the investigation or the agency's responsible investigating the whole thing. Let's talk about security generally as this present administration is talking economy and economic reforms and all that. How good are we on security and what hope do we have to be better than now? Thank you, Nyambu. I think since the present administration came on board, it's selection of the military chiefs in various offices. They're swing into action. Some of them have a lot of initiatives. They are bringing on board. The Nigerian police, the IDO police also have its own initiatives and they coerce that the chief of army staff has its own targets. And all along we can see that though there have still been these insorgency issues, Boko Haram, little banditry in the north, but I think that the military they're really arresting every situation. And from the southwest, some I can talk of major criminality, major criminality, they're really dealing with it. And some of the little aspect of what we see in the southwest, of course the police are still managing it. The civil defense and all of the law enforcement, I can say that they are up with their game. Now for like we said before in some of our programs, we say that every region has its own security challenges. You don't reach the same security challenge in all regions. In the south region, especially the oil-rich area, we have issues of explosions. This is not the first explosion that we're having from Breva State. We've had orders until the government have to swing into order and get things done. Especially when Buhari came on board, the past administration, they experienced this kind of explosive explosions in those regions. And to my own understanding about this explosion, I think there could be, though the police are investigating and I don't want to be ahead of the investigation. But I think the former governor of that state is now the man in charge of FCT. And some of his measures in FCT are very drastic. They are very drastic. And some have even threatened that they should expect a repressor from him. So we don't know if some of this repressor is what we are seeing in Dambana or there are just some criminal elements trying to clean up their tracks. It's either in these two directions that we can look at it. Some elements maybe that illegal refinery have been uncovered. And then they're trying to clear up every evidence by causing that explosion. And because looking at it, it was done in a very criminal hour. That was around 2.30am in the morning. In fact, that's the time of where all kind of activities, illegal activities, take place. So it's either they're trying to clean up, they know that they have been intelligence. Intelligence have found out that location and of course they're trying to clean up evidence. They could blow up that area. Or it could be a similar case like what we've had in Lagos. This is not the first time we're having, if really it's a pipeline explosion. We've had a lot of that in Lagos. We've had one in Abuleba. We've had one in Areco all within the Lagos axis. So in Potacot, they've also had their own explosions, experience, a true pipeline, vandalism of course. Explosions don't just come. It is based on human activity. It will be based on human activity that these explosions happen. So it is not something out of ordinary, but it's very good that the law enforcement swing into action already what they're doing so that they would detect these kind of activities in most of the communities. But whenever somebody is talking about security or anything for that matter, you come into office and people are expecting you to give us timelines where you are going to achieve some things. The police IG for instance told us that he was feeling like a, is it a lion or a leopard or something? He was feeling like one strong animal that will devour everybody. And then he said that as soon as he gets into office, he's going to make sure that he withdraws policemen from VIPs so that we will have more policemen on the roads, on their beats to make sure that people are secure, not just the VIPs. So far that has not happened. It seems as if he has entered into that place and a bug has bitten him. Just like a bug bites most of the politicians, they are good before they enter, they enter, they become bad and all that. So do we have any hope that all the promises that you, like you said, chief of army staff, all of them, they have their own agenda and it seems to be very promising? Do we have any hope that any of this agenda will be fulfilled in the time that we need it to be fulfilled knowing that the police IG has not even been able to withdraw one person from a VIP? Well, that's a good observation because I think whoever that will promise us heaven while he has not really seen what is on ground is really not going to deliver based on those facts. Because these people that have the police under cover, they actually have the rights to have the police to guard them. And I believe that the best thing to do, I think the best thing to do before you get into office, you need to do an assessment, a deep, deep-tail assessment of your vulnerabilities, the weaknesses in various systems in your organization before you can make promises to the public. Making a press statement is something that is not very good. It's not very good because people will start expecting or if the statement you have issued out is not to you to the advantage of those that are really enjoying their favor, they will definitely try to fight against it. So to me, I think the best thing you should have done is to first of all, or any public office holder, except you don't want to be political, if you really want to be someone that want to achieve success, is to get to that seat. Because what you observe from the outside is different from what you see in the outside when you get in there. And so it is always good that when you get in, you do a detailed assessment of that office and see what and what you need to do before you can issue press statements. Now, this statement is against him. I don't know if it's really for him, but I know that this statement, because of the expectation, is against him right now because people are expecting that he do what he has promised. And every judgment of his performance will be based on these that he has done. But I don't know, in my own thinking, that people should always get into office force. Assess the situation before they make press statements. Okay, right now, we're concerned about security. And when we talk security, we cannot only be talking about the police. In fact, in my layman understanding, there cannot be any credible intelligence unless the people are involved. People who are not necessarily a policeman or security man and all that, they are the ones who carry the information that the police will need to do whatever investigation they are going to do. That's my thinking. I don't know if that is what security experts will say. But, you know, I'm thinking about the possibility of having a secure Nigeria, which does not only depend on the police or the army or the navy or anything. Now, by thinking about that, I'm thinking about the private security outfits in our country. What role can they play to make our country a more secure place than it is now? What is left undone by the government to make these people play a better role in securing our country? The private security industry already are aware that the way they can collaborate with the government forces is through intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing. This is one part because they are on arms. They are not permitted to use arms because they are on every street. They are on every street, on every business, almost every business. So, they have pieces of information flying around the neighborhood, which can be shared, valuable information that can be shared with the government, law enforcement agencies. But, like we have these, our present government, they really need to make them feel safe that when they share this information, it's not going to hurt them, hurt their work, hurt their families in the long run because they should have a protective clause that whatever they share will not turn against them. And that's the reason why some cannot come willingly and share intelligence with the government forces. Secondly, in the Western world, we see that it is mandatory, it is compulsory for a business not to pray without a God force. They have made it like that. They are intentional. They are intentional about this. And it is deliberate that every business venture must have a private security outfit looking after their business. Now, this is the Western world to do that. Now, the reason for this is because they will help to monitor every activity in that business, in the environment, and feed the government forces. But here, this issue of hiring a private security guard is still left in the hands or in the decision of the private business. They decide based on their profit lines and say that I should have, like you see most of the schools that are operating today in Nigeria, most schools, as I mean, with little children there, they don't have private security. Most businesses don't have. Legally, they should have a security outfit watching over their business. That will help the government forces, like you say. That will cover up a lot for the government forces. So I see in the regulation of the, let's say the staff, the body regulating the private security in those places, the law, the civil defense, they should also look into this and ensure that there is a rule, there is a rule that mandate all business to have private security guard in their premises. This will help in protecting lives and also contribute to the national security of Nigeria. Will you say that is the only reason intelligence-guarding is a problem in Nigeria because I think it is a problem in Nigeria. You get arrested in some cases before investigation goes on. In some other places, I know that investigation will go on and there will be a dozer, there will be a very big file on you before you are arrested. So you don't have to go back, except very credible information just comes that was not known about. But there's investigation, there's intelligence-guarding and all that. What do you think is the greatest factor of militating against the gathering of intelligence in Nigeria to secure Nigeria? Because without intelligence, securing a place is next to impossible. Yes, intelligence is a strategic information that can help any organization. Even any organization cannot survive without strategic intelligence. Also, what is really working against it, like I said, is the trust, is the trust contract between the consuming organization, the organization that will really need this intelligence. That's what I mean. Because if it's not only the private security that can do this intelligence-sharing, anybody on the street, any citizen of Nigeria can actually trust the government security and share intelligence. It could even be private businesses, individuals. But when this trust relationship is broken, especially how you treat it, because there are certain ethical behaviors that need to be handled carefully by those who really receive this intelligence. And one of it is that people who share intelligence, you must treat them right. And so if they are informed from that highest level that they need to treat people who give them intelligence, in fact, protect their identity, I think people will be willing to share intelligence. So the factor that is really disturbing us here is the trust, the trust relationship We need to build that trust relationship. And I think that is the major thing. Okay. Well, just by way of emphasis, as we wrap up this segment, I'd just like to ask you, this administration has come on board and they're talking seriously about securing the nation. And when you talk economy, as we said at the beginning, you have to have a secure nation for people to come and invest in that nation because nobody wants to go to a volatile place. What are some of the low-hanging fruits that this administration must concentrate on to make sure that the security improves as the time goes on? One of the major things is that they should be on the integrity of the nation because the reputational damage of Nigeria is very high internationally. We still have the sitting government, the sitting president. We still have a court case, a present court case now concerning Chicago, whatever in the U.S. I think some of these things, we are not really showing ourselves as a country that's really ready to attract investors. Whereby the number one in Nigeria has been dragged in a court, in outside, in a country that are one of the highest investors in Nigeria. I don't know that kind of, the message that they are passing to the whole globe. I think we should be, the media, I know, it's not something that the Nigerian media can handle, but I say we should be educated enough that there is time for politics and there is time to lay aside and allow things to work. First of all, it's integrity. Secondly, Nigeria image need to be repaired. Nigeria image need to be repaired. The fiscal policy of Nigeria is currently haunting businesses. Of course, this gives a very high advantage to investors from outside Nigeria with the little they have. They can actually do a lot in Nigeria. In fact, both people from Nigeria cannot really do enough by going outside to do importations. I think the fiscal policy should be reviewed. That also will attract inflow and outflow of Nigeria. It is critical. The security system also needs to be improved. We still see, we still hear of certain insurgency issues in the north, but I think the military is arresting it. Our international relations, especially with the ECOWAS nation need to be improved. The Niger case, I want to give kudos to the president government. I think he had a listening ear. He listened and he was not involved in escalating the violence in Niger. And Niger, since they have a military leadership, they are going to scare off a lot of bad exes that will find their way to Nigeria. And so that means from people from the northern axis, the military forces from the northern axis need to condone those areas and the border areas. The border areas, there should be a high alert at the border areas in Sokoto, in Kano, in Borno, some of those areas that they have easy access to Nigeria. Because definitely, as the military is there, they will not take no sense. Because the military rule, the military rule is not a democratic government. And so they will frown at every criminality in that nation to try to clean up that nation of Niger. We also have something in South Sudan that is not pleasing. They've had a conflict in that area. We know that there will be arms flow from that area. We know that refugees will come from there. And some of them are not really refugees. Some are an espionage nation. Espionage mission, I mean, they spy for information and then go back and do all the kind of illegal things, illegal runnings. And so we really need to, the present government need to really take security serious in the northern axis. And so that they can prevent any external aggression into Nigeria, especially through espionage. They need to eliminate espionage. They need to terminate that espionage. Because it will halt the military, it will halt the national security. And when the national security is halt, of course, the economy will be halted. Okay. Let's close with these. Regardless of the possible future successes of this administration, the Tirubu presidency will be tarnished by the continuing security in the country just like the last two administrations if nothing is done in that regard. So let's just assess the performance security-wise of this administration. Let's be giving them a scorecard, writes on this scorecard of this present administration as the time goes on. It's been four months already since the takeover. Now, how would you assess the security situation in the first four months of this administration so that we know whether they are going in the right direction or not? Be very sincere about it. Let's wrap up with that. In my own score, I think they are going in the right direction. The major incidents which we have experienced over the four months is the explosion in the river state. And of course, why we need to take it seriously because that is where the wealth of the nation is. And so, from the scorecard, I will give them a good performance. But if they can really address what is happening in the river state, I am sure that they will do better. Okay. I'm glad you've given them that scorecard, that mark. And we'd like to thank you, Augusta and Ega, for coming on the show this morning. As always, it's a pleasure having had you on the show. Thank you so much. Thank you, Nyamgo. Augusta and Ega is a security expert. He was talking to us from Ibadan. And we're going to take a short break when we return. We'll go to our next hot topic. Stay with us.