PeacePro Urges Nigeria to Create Parallel Armed Forces

PeacePro, led by Executive Director Abdulrazaq Hamzat, has called on the Nigerian federal government to urgently establish a parallel asymmetric armed forces structure. This proposal follows the deadly attack in northeastern Nigeria that resulted in the death of a Brigadier General and several soldiers.

Hamzat described the incident as deeply unfortunate and emphasized the need for a restructuring of Nigeria's internal security architecture to effectively respond to asymmetric threats such as insurgency, banditry, and terrorism. He noted that the conventional armed forces are increasingly overstretched and not originally designed for internal security operations.

The proposed parallel forces would focus specifically on internal security operations, including counter-insurgency and rapid response missions. Hamzat cited international examples of dual hybrid security systems managing asymmetric threats and urged the federal government to engage national security stakeholders in a dialogue for security sector reform, focusing on legal frameworks and human rights safeguards.