…Ex-Lt. Col. Nyiam calls for armed regional forces, likens model to US National Guard
….”Current system is an army of occupation,” Nyiam declares
One of the principal figures behind the 1990 Orkar coup attempt, Lt. Col. Tony Nyiam (retd), has issued a stark warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that Nigeria’s centralized security architecture is fundamentally broken and incapable of tackling the nation’s multifaceted insecurity.
Speaking exclusively on the Frontline programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Thursday, Nyiam argued that decades of structural imbalance and inherited colonial frameworks have crippled the nation’s ability to combat terrorism, banditry, and communal violence.
While commending the President’s recent diplomatic overtures to the United Kingdom—describing his address as “well-researched” and “dignified”—Nyiam stressed that international collaboration cannot compensate for domestic decay.
“The Nigerian people themselves have not been meaningfully integrated into the present national security architecture,” Nyiam stated. “What we have today is a structure that, in many respects, behaves like an army of occupation rather than a people-oriented security system.”
He alleged that the current system is vulnerable due to divided loyalties, which lead to intelligence leaks and operational failures, leaving the state perpetually “a step behind” criminal networks.
A Case for Armed Regional Guards
To remedy this, Nyiam proposed a multi-layered, decentralised framework featuring federal forces, state-level formations, and community-based units. He made a robust case for formally arming regional outfits like the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun), arguing that their local knowledge provides a strategic advantage.
“Amotekun is a step in the right direction, but it has been deliberately limited,” he said. “These are people who understand the terrain and have a stake in defending their homeland. Let them be armed legally, properly trained, and operate within a defined framework.”
Drawing a parallel with the United States, Nyiam cited the National Guard system as a model of how decentralised forces can coexist with federal authority while maintaining accountability.
“In the U.S., each state has its National Guard,” he explained. “When a president was trying to invade the Capitol, the people rose against that president through the National Guard that stopped them. That is the kind of flexibility we need.”
Warning Against Police Militarisation
However, Nyiam cautioned against misinterpreting the push for state police as a mandate for combat operations. He warned that militarising the police would erode civil liberties and risk creating a “police state.”
“The police is a civil force; it is not trained for full-scale combat against insurgents in forests,” he clarified. _”We need clarity of roles, not a system that blurs the lines between law enforcement and military action.”*
Nyiam concluded that without a fundamental restructuring that empowers local populations, Nigeria will remain trapped in a cycle of insecurity. “It is not just about changing strategies; it is about changing the system itself,” he said.
