‘Unite Against Terror’: Northwest Security Chiefs Move To Close Intelligence Gaps

By ABDUL AHMED (A. A.) RUFUS

Northwest Security Chiefs Seek Stronger Regional Response

DIRECTORS of the Department of State Services, DSS, across Nigeria’s Northwest have called for deeper intelligence sharing and stronger operational cooperation to confront terrorism, banditry and other security threats.

The call came at the Northwest Conference of State Directors of Security held in Katsina.

The conference carried the theme, “Unite Against Terror,” and brought together security officials and other stakeholders to examine the region’s persistent security challenges.

Katsina State Director of Security, Alhaji Alhassan Iliyasu, said the gathering offered an opportunity for intelligence and security agencies to compare experiences and develop more coordinated responses.

He said terrorism and banditry had become regional problems that required regional solutions.

According to him, security agencies must identify operational weaknesses, close intelligence gaps and strengthen countermeasures against criminal networks operating across state boundaries.

The conference, he said, would produce a communiqué expected to serve as an actionable roadmap for future security operations.

Intelligence Sharing Takes Centre Stage

Iliyasu stressed that no security agency could independently defeat terrorism and banditry.

He called for a broader security partnership involving the military, intelligence agencies, police, communities, vigilante groups and other relevant institutions.

The appeal reflects a major challenge in the Northwest, where armed groups often move across communities and state boundaries.

Such mobility can create gaps between security jurisdictions and complicate efforts to track criminal networks.

Brigadier-General Ishaya Ibrahim, Commander of 17 Brigade, said security agencies must treat cooperation as a necessity rather than an option.

He noted that military operations remain important, but said effective action depends heavily on timely and reliable intelligence.

According to him, the DSS plays a critical role through human intelligence, surveillance, threat assessment and community networks.

That information, he said, can help security forces target threats more precisely.

Ibrahim warned that terrorists and bandits often exploit failures in communication, coordination and institutional trust.

He therefore called for real-time intelligence sharing, joint operational planning and stronger communication protocols.

Communities Seen as Key Security Partners

The conference also placed significant attention on the role of local communities.

Iliyasu urged residents to report suspicious activities and movements to security agencies.

He said public cooperation could strengthen efforts to identify criminal activities before they develop into major attacks.

The Katsina State Director of Security also pointed to the role of the Community Watch Corps and vigilante groups in supporting frontline security operations.

Community-based security structures have increasingly become part of the response to insecurity in several parts of northern Nigeria.

Their effectiveness, however, often depends on coordination with formal security institutions.

Brigadier-General Ibrahim said security agencies must also work to earn the confidence of local communities.

Without public trust, he suggested, intelligence gathering could become more difficult.

The fight against terrorism, he said, would ultimately require cooperation between security forces and the people they serve.

Katsina Highlights Security Measures

Governor Dikko Radda commended the DSS for convening the conference.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Faruk Lawal-Jobe, said the security challenges confronting the Northwest were interconnected.

He argued that individual states could not effectively address threats that crossed borders.

Radda said Katsina had recorded improvements through a combination of military operations and non-military interventions.

The state government has supported security agencies while also introducing programmes aimed at assisting communities affected by banditry.

Those measures include free medical services for victims of attacks.

The government has also expanded agricultural support through mechanisation, extension services, improved seeds and fertiliser distribution.

The approach reflects the belief that security requires more than armed operations.

Economic hardship, displacement and the destruction of livelihoods can deepen instability and create conditions that criminal groups may exploit.

The Katsina conference therefore placed two approaches side by side: stronger security operations and greater attention to community resilience.

Whether the proposed regional cooperation will produce measurable improvements will depend on how effectively security agencies convert the conference discussions into sustained intelligence sharing and coordinated action.

For a region facing persistent terrorism and banditry, the challenge is no longer simply identifying the threats.

It is building a system capable of responding to them collectively and consistently.