Traditional rulers in Nigeria have reaffirmed their crucial role in tackling the nation’s security challenges, urging the Armed Forces to deepen collaboration with local leadership structures.
Eze Okey Ananaba delivered the message on behalf of Eze Linus Nto Mbah, Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, during a visit by Senior Course 47 students from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, to Umuahia.
Ananaba emphasized the importance of leveraging grassroots intelligence and cultural insights to address internal security threats, describing traditional leaders as “first responders, surveillance agents, and moral anchors” within their communities.
The event, held in Umuahia on May 8, was part of a nationwide Environmental Study Tour themed “Harnessing Grassroots Intelligence for Enhanced Internal Security.”
Highlighting the critical functions of traditional rulers in national security, Ananaba listed activities such as:
Monitoring new entrants and identifying unusual activities.
Maintaining informal networks of palace informants.
Organizing and supervising community policing and vigilante groups in collaboration with police and military units.
He also pointed out challenges affecting local security efforts, including the lack of formal security training for palace staff, inadequate funding for community security outfits, and intelligence gaps in areas without officially installed traditional rulers.
Brigadier General Nnaemeka Oghili, who led the Jaji delegation, expressed appreciation for the contributions of traditional institutions to security operations, noting that the study tour allows officers to better understand ground realities and engage directly with local stakeholders.
“This tour is a vital part of our curriculum. It helps our officers understand the realities on the ground and engage directly with stakeholders like you,” Oghili stated.
