Legal practitioner and former presidential aide, Mr Kingsley Kuku, says Nigeria’s greatest security challenge is not terrorism, banditry or kidnapping but the gradual erosion of citizens’ trust in the state’s ability to protect them.
Kuku made the assertion on Saturday while delivering a valedictory lecture titled: “The Nigerian State Under Siege: Constitutionalism and the Imperative for National Renewal.”
The lecture was delivered at the valedictory service for the 2026 graduating students of the Oba Erediauwa College of Law, Igbinedion University, Okada.
He argued that the country’s worsening insecurity reflected a deeper constitutional crisis, where many Nigerians had lost confidence in government institutions responsible for safeguarding lives and property.
“Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not terrorism. It is not banditry. It is not kidnapping or separatism in isolation. It is the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly of legitimate authority,” Kuku said.
According to him, the real danger lies in the widening trust deficit between citizens and government, warning that constitutional democracy becomes fragile when people no longer believe lawful institutions can protect them.
“The Nigerian citizen no longer trusts in the ability of government to protect them. That is the primary duty of government.
“When any government loses that trust, it becomes a constitutional problem, not merely a criminal one,” he added.
The former chairman of the presidential amnesty programme said the increasing reliance on vigilante groups and regional security outfits instead of constitutionally established security agencies underscored the severity of the challenge.
The legal practitioner stressed that while community-based security initiatives had contributed to local safety, their emergence also reflected public perception that existing institutions were not adequately meeting citizens’ security needs.
He maintained that the solution to Nigeria’s security challenges lay in rebuilding public confidence through stronger institutions, accountable governance, an independent judiciary and adherence to the rule of law.
“The challenge before Nigeria is not simply to defeat terrorism, banditry or organised crime. It is to restore public confidence in constitutional governance itself,” he said.
Kuku advocated institutional reforms, including stronger policing, improved judicial independence, professionalism among security agencies and constitutional restructuring through democratic consensus.
He also declared his support for the creation of state police with appropriate federal oversight, arguing that the current centralised policing structure had failed to adequately address the country’s security realities.
Addressing the graduating law students, Kuku urged them to uphold integrity above personal advancement, describing the legal profession as a public trust rather than merely a career.
“Nigeria does not merely need more lawyers. Nigeria needs lawyers of character, courage and integrity whose first loyalty is to justice and the Constitution,” he said.
He warned the new graduates against sacrificing principle for convenience, urging them to defend the rule of law even when doing so was unpopular.
Umoru Faruk Salifu
+2348080388023
umorufaruks007@gmail.com,
umoru@21stcenturychronicle.com
Twitter: @65Umoru
