Security Beyond Firepower: LSSTF Training Stresses Professionalism, Intelligence Sharing, Healthy Living
LAGOS — Security experts and senior police officers have called for stronger professionalism, ethical conduct, intelligence sharing and inter-agency collaboration to effectively tackle emerging security threats in Lagos State.
They made the call at the sixth edition of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) Statewide Inter-Agency Training for Security Operatives, held on Wednesday and Thursday, August 19 and 20, 2026, at The Zone, Gbagada Expressway, Lagos.
The training, themed “Enhancing Professional Capacity, Ethical Standards and Inter-Agency Collaboration for Effective Security Operations,” brought together senior officers, security personnel and experts from different fields.
Representing the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, the Fund’s Director of Administration, Mr. Degbola Lewis, said the training was part of the organisation’s sustained investment in human capacity development.
Ogunsan said the programme, which commenced in March, would continue until December and subsequently become a permanent feature of LSSTF’s security interventions.
According to him, the initiative was driven by the conviction that human beings remained the most valuable asset of any organisation.
“I’m a people-oriented person and I believe so much in people because they are the greatest asset that God has given,” Ogunsan said.
He explained that upon assuming office, he identified logistics, equipment and human capacity as critical areas requiring intervention, adding that continuous training would enable security personnel to acquire new knowledge, improve their professional competence and strengthen relationships across agencies.
Speaking at the event, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, AIG Simeon Udofia Akpanudom, said criminals were increasingly exploiting technology, institutional weaknesses and jurisdictional boundaries.
He therefore urged security agencies to become professionally competent, ethically grounded, technologically responsive and capable of operating seamlessly with one another.
Akpanudom said professional capacity went beyond having personnel on the ground, stressing that officers needed knowledge, skills, discipline, sound judgment and competence to effectively discharge their responsibilities.
He called for continuous training in intelligence analysis, criminal investigation, cybercrime, financial crime investigation, forensic techniques, crisis management, communication, evidence management and technology-driven security operations.
“The moment a security officer stops learning is the moment that officer begins to fall behind the criminals he or she is expected to confront,” he warned.
The AIG also stressed the importance of public confidence in policing, saying, “Public trust is not demanded; it is earned.”
He urged security personnel to recognise that their interactions with members of the public could either strengthen or undermine confidence in the security system.
Akpanudom further advocated an end to institutional silos through joint intelligence analysis, coordinated operations, regular inter-agency meetings, secure information sharing and joint problem-solving.
Representing the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Maritime Police Command, AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat, the DC Admin, DCP Udu Moses Ogechi, highlighted the importance of collaboration in securing Nigeria’s maritime corridors.
She said the Maritime Police Command maintains operational presence across several waterways and works with agencies including the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Navy, Customs Marine and Army amphibious units.
According to her, effective security of the waterways was critical to the Nigerian economy, as many communities depend on them for transportation, fishing and commercial activities.
She said improved patrols and inter-agency collaboration had contributed to a reduction in piracy, kidnapping and other water-related crimes.
“The collaboration with all the agencies has really helped us a lot, and we are recording positive in that axis,” she said.
Nurat urged security operatives to apply lessons from the training in their respective commands and deepen intelligence sharing with local communities, traditional leaders, vessel owners and other maritime stakeholders.
LSSTF Introduces Medical Screening
For the first time since the commencement of the statewide inter-agency training, the LSSTF introduced a medical screening component to promote the health and wellbeing of security personnel.
Participants were offered free checks, including blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, height and other vital signs.
The initiative, organisers said, was designed to ensure that security operatives could assess their health while participating in the training without having to bear the cost of the medical tests.
Speaking on metabolic syndrome and health risks associated with security duties, Dr. Diya Ololade Oluwadamilola, Executive Director/Deputy Director of Clinical Services at Atlantis Pediatric and Multispecialist Hospital, explained that hypertension, type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol could contribute to serious complications, including stroke, heart attacks, blood-vessel damage and kidney disease.
He urged security personnel to undergo regular medical checks and pay greater attention to nutrition, exercise, stress management and adequate sleep.
Dr. Ololade introduced the FRESH health protocol, with “F” representing food and vitamins, “R” for reducing or removing stressors, “E” for exercise, “S” for sleep, and “H” for health checks and vaccination.
Clinical Nutritionist Titilayo Akindele also warned that prolonged occupational stress could negatively affect the health of security personnel.
She explained that sustained stress could trigger hormonal responses associated with weight gain, increased blood sugar and elevated blood pressure.
Akindele advised officers to monitor their vital signs regularly and adopt healthier eating habits, particularly by paying attention to their blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
The training underscored the need for Lagos’ security architecture to move beyond reliance on personnel and equipment alone, with experts emphasising that effective security also depends on professional competence, ethical leadership, intelligence-led operations, inter-agency trust and the physical wellbeing of security personnel.
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