The Department of State Services (DSS) has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies, government institutions, traditional authorities and communities to confront terrorism, banditry and other emerging security threats in the North-West.
The call was made at the second North-West Zonal Conference of State Directors of Security, hosted by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Katsina State on Thursday, with the theme, “Unite Against Terror.”
Representing the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, the Chairman, North-West Forum of State Directors of Security and Kano State Director of Security, Husseini Abubakar, said the conference provided an opportunity for security stakeholders to compare experiences, assess evolving threats and develop effective strategies against terrorism and banditry.
He said, “This edition of the Northwest SDSS Conference gives us another opportunity to compare notes, share experiences, assess evolving and endemic security challenges, particularly the threat of banditry, and devise appropriate containment strategies in the effort to secure our communities.”
Abubakar, who conveyed the goodwill of the DSS Director-General, said the Service under the current leadership was working to strengthen its tactical capabilities and improve the capacity of its personnel to respond to security challenges.
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He also commended the existing synergy among security and law enforcement agencies in the North-West, noting that such cooperation remained critical to addressing terrorism and other forms of criminality.
“As we go into the technical session, I am optimistic, and we should bear in mind that the war against terror is a task that must be accomplished,” he said.
In his welcome address, Alhassan Iliyasu, the Katsina State Director of Security, said the conference was designed to strengthen intelligence-led operations and develop coordinated responses to security threats confronting the region.
He said the theme, “Unite Against Terror,” was deliberately chosen to emphasise that the fight against terrorism and banditry could not be left to security agencies alone.
“By uniting against terror, it involves everybody, not only the security agencies, but the entire society,” he said.
He said Katsina had adopted a community-based approach to security, with the state government, security agencies, community watch structures and vigilante groups working together to prevent and respond to threats.
According to him, the security architecture had contributed to the state’s improved response to security challenges.
“If you observe in Katsina State, that theme, ‘Unite Against Terror,’ is no longer news because we live as one family. At any point in time, however late the day is, whoever you call among the action agencies, we are responding,” Iliyasu said.
He said the purpose of the conference was to examine security challenges in the North-West “from the nitty-gritty,” review existing countermeasures and develop new strategies capable of tackling banditry and related criminal activities.
The conference comes amid persistent security concerns in parts of the North-West, where banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other forms of organised criminality have continued to challenge communities and security institutions.
The conference brought together State Directors of Security and other stakeholders from the seven North-West states of Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, as well as heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, government officials and retired security personnel.
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