The management of security is arguably the most sacred duty of any government. When an official spokesperson offers an assessment that the security situation is “calm,” it often intends to reassure.
However, when this statement clashes sharply with daily lived realities, it creates a dangerous disconnect.
The government’s public position on security is far more than a mere press statement; it is a critical variable in the security equation, directly dictating the flow of human intelligence (HUMINT).
When official pronouncements deliberately downplay an obvious threat, they immediately trigger an erosion of trust, causing citizens with credible information to feel their concerns are dismissed, thereby breaking the vital relationship needed for community engagement and intelligence sharing.
This denial also leads to discouraged reporting, as individuals see little point in risking effort or safety to report incidents when the official narrative insists the situation is “calm” or “under control.”
Ultimately, this focus on painting a false picture of tranquillity results in compromised data, filtering or sanitizing internal reports and leading to dangerous, skewed assessments that misdirect crucial security resources and undermine effective tactical responses.
I wholeheartedly endorse the best practice that security management must be depoliticized. I urge all levels of government to immediately embrace radical transparency and collective responsibility, recognizing the evolving threat for what it truly is—a serious challenge—as the vital first step toward defeating it. This shift requires us to leverage technology and intelligence by actively seeking honest, real-time input from the communities, the essential wellspring of human intelligence (HUMINT). Furthermore, governments must foster citizen confidence by speaking frankly about the dangers, encouraging every citizen to see themselves as partners, not just subjects, in securing the state. Safeguarding lives and property demands we deal only with the real and obvious, rejecting the politically convenient narrative, for a truly calm assessment can only ever follow a calm reality, built on shared intelligence and decisive action.
By: Mohammed Bello, PhD. Candidate, Defence and Strategic Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna State, Nigeria; and CEO, African Centre for Innovative Research and Development (AFRI-CIRD)
#SecurityManagement #IntelligenceGathering #PublicSafety #DepoliticizeSecurity #CommunityPartnership #GoodGovernance
