Minister decries poor funding, porous borders as major security threats

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has raised alarm over the country’s weak border security and the chronic underfunding of internal security agencies, warning that these issues pose significant threats to national safety.

Speaking on Tuesday, the minister disclosed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) received only ₦10 billion to secure Nigeria’s vast 4,024 square kilometre borders, a figure he described as highly inadequate for the scope of the task.

“If you kill one terrorist and the border is porous, 20 more will enter. Are we joking?” Tunji-Ojo questioned. He urged the government to adopt a more realistic approach to security spending, noting that current resources fall far short of what is required.

He also criticised the Nigeria Police Force’s dependence on budgetary allocations, arguing that such reliance limits its operational efficiency. “You have a police force that relies on capital releases and expect efficiency? It’s not sustainable,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo commended the capabilities of the Department of State Services (DSS) and praised the leadership of the National Security Adviser, while lamenting that many Nigerians wrongly view the military as the primary institution responsible for internal security. “That perception reflects a failure of our internal security agencies,” he noted.

The minister further emphasised the urgency of establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity framework, warning that Nigeria’s current ad hoc structure leaves the country vulnerable to digital threats. “We are 20 years behind in cybersecurity. We must fix it,” he asserted.