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Technical Adviser to the Governor of Bayelsa State on Communication and Strategy, High Chief Abednego Don Evarada, has called on the Federal Government to embrace new security reforms to include the key community actors in tackling issues of persistent insecurity befalling the nation.
According to High Chief Abednego Don Evarada, despite the existing centralised security structure being adopted by the Military, the lack of Proper coordination between the Military and the key actors in the communities is being exploited by insurgent groups against the Nigerian nation.
Technical Adviser to the Governor of Bayelsa State on Communication and Strategy, High Chief Abednego Don Evarada, made this known during the 2026 celebration of the Feast of Barracuda organised by the National Association of Seadogs, Oxbow Marino Deck in Yenagoa, Bayelsà State.
Evarada, who is a public analyst and Activist, while delivering a keynote address with the theme “Security Challenges and National Security: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Nigerian Security Architecture”, pointed out that Nigeria faces one of the most complex security environments in its history.
He noted that the security challenges include cases of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, piracy, oil theft, cultism, cybercrime, separatist agitations, farmer-herder conflicts, and organised criminal networks, which have stretched our security institutions to their limits.
He noted that with scary incidents of Chibok girls, Owo Church massacres, among others,” Beyond the international outrage lay a painful reality: a massive failure of intelligence gathering, threat assessment, and rapid response.”
“The tragedy exposed vulnerabilities in our centralised security structure and demonstrated how insurgent groups can exploit weak coordination between communities and security forces.”
“The lesson from these attacks shows that when security agencies know the terrain but not the people, and communities know the people but do not trust the security agencies, criminals exploit the gap.”
“More importantly, it exposed gaps in intelligence gathering, threat monitoring, and local security coordination. The bloodstains on the floor of Owo were not merely evidence of a terrorist attack. They were evidence of vulnerabilities within our security architecture.”
High Chief Abednego Don Evarada however noted that though Nigeria operates one of the most centralized policing systems in the world,” The Nigeria Police Force remains primarily under federal control. There are clear advantages to this arrangement. It promotes national coordination.”
“It maintains uniform operational standards. It reduces the risk of fragmented security commands. It helps preserve national unity. However, the realities on the ground reveal serious limitations. Nigeria is home to over 230 million people, spread across thousands of communities, diverse cultures, and vast geographical territories.”
” No centralised structure, regardless of its resources, can effectively monitor every village, creek, forest, or urban settlement from a distant command centre. The result is often a delayed response. Weak local intelligence. Limited community trust. And an insufficient understanding of local dynamics.”
“Criminal networks frequently know communities better than the institutions assigned to protect them.”
He urged the Federal Government to adopt the security architecture of foreign nations in which community policing seeks to build partnerships between security agencies and citizens. It encourages intelligence sharing.
” It promotes trust. It enables early threat detection. It transforms security from a government responsibility into a collective responsibility. The most successful security systems in the world understand this principle.”
Earlier in his speech, the Steerer, Oxbow Marino Deck, High Chief, Douglas Etulankimor Sampson-Eteli, described the Feast of Barracuda as an annual event of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS).aka Pyrate confraternity.
He pointed out that the concept of the Feast of Barracuda came from old seafarers’ experience with the Barracuda fish, a large predatory fish that attacked other marine life and sometimes humans.
According to him, “Sailors saw it as an impediment to smooth sailing/ trade. So, whenever they conquered a baracuda, they did feast on it to celebrate getting rid of a threat.”
He said NAS adopted that metaphor, the Barracuda fish represent the ills blocking the attainment of an egalitarian/ just society,” Feasting on it simple mean identifying, discussing and symbolically defeating those ills.”
“The National Association of Seadogs was founded in 1952 by Prof. Wole Soyinka and 6 others. It’s a humanitarian/ civic group. Feast of Baracuda is held across all NAS decks( NAS chapters) globally.”
” It’s an event of both Public Lectures/ forum and communal feasting where an actual barracuda fish is unveiled and eaten.”
“The Feast of Barracuda Lectures are used to discuss contemporary social, political or economic issues militating against a just society. It also doubles as humanitarian outreach; NAS Desks use FOB to donate books to schools, medical kits, visit orphanages, etc.”
“In short: started from a seafarer metaphor, Nas turned Feast of Baracuda into an annual civic forum since the 1980s to “Feast on” societal problems through debates, advocacy and community services.”