Anthony Kila, Professor of Strategy and Development and Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), has described the detention of renowned writer and public affairs analyst, Professor Okey Ndibe, as “vulgar, vexatious and worrisome.”
In a statement in Lagos, Kila expressed concern about what he described as an outdated tendency to subject scholars, writers, and public intellectuals to avoidable harassment, arguing that such actions project an image of inefficiency and misplaced priorities.
According to him, detaining an internationally respected writer and intellectual is not merely an affront to an individual but a troubling signal about how a society values knowledge, talent, and critical thinking.
“Professor Okey Ndibe is not merely a private citizen. He is a globally recognised writer, scholar, and public affairs analyst whose contributions to intellectual discourse have earned him respect across continents. To subject such a figure to detention under circumstances that suggest administrative or procedural failures is vulgar, vexatious and deeply worrisome,” Kila stated.
The academic argued that the incident raises broader questions about the quality of information management and coordination within the nation’s security architecture.
“At a time when Nigeria faces serious security challenges that demand the highest levels of professionalism and efficiency, it is difficult to understand how public resources can be expended on acting on outdated information. Working with old data in matters of security is not a sign of vigilance; it is a sign of incompetence,” he said.
Kila noted that security agencies ought to direct their attention and resources to addressing genuine threats to public safety rather than creating unnecessary difficulties for citizens, particularly individuals known for their intellectual and professional contributions.
He further questioned the rationale for detaining citizens in situations where there is no immediate threat to public safety, arguing that such actions contribute to a culture of anxiety and mistrust between citizens and public institutions.
“One wonders why there should be a need to detain or arrest anybody at all under such circumstances, let alone a figure of Professor Ndibe’s standing. Incidents like this help explain why many people increasingly feel compelled to surround themselves with unnecessary paraphernalia of status and protection—retinues of aides, convoys, escorts, and other symbols designed not merely for prestige but as a shield against arbitrary inconvenience,” he observed.
According to Kila, societies function best when citizens can interact with public institutions confidently and without fear of needless harassment.
“The measure of a mature society is not how effectively it can inconvenience its citizens but how effectively it can protect them. Public institutions exist to provide security, certainty, and order, not anxiety and disruption,” he added.
The CIAPS Director called on the leadership of the country’s security agencies to conduct a thorough review of the systems and procedures that led to the incident, with a view to preventing similar occurrences in the future.
“I call on the heads of our security services to examine the processes that produced this unfortunate situation. Time, personnel, intelligence resources, and public funds should be directed towards protecting citizens from genuine threats, not towards harassing thinkers, scholars, writers, and other law-abiding members of society,” Kila stated.
He stressed that Nigeria’s development depends not only on economic and physical infrastructure but also on the protection of intellectual capital and the preservation of an environment where ideas can flourish freely.
“A nation that seeks progress must learn to value its thinkers as much as it values its infrastructure. Respect for knowledge, talent, and intellectual contribution is not a luxury; it is a requirement for national development,” Kila concluded.
Professor Okey Ndibe is a celebrated Nigerian writer, columnist, and academic based in the United States, widely known for his contributions to literature, public affairs commentary, and scholarship.
