​Security chiefs, the Katsina State Government, and key regional stakeholders have resolved to intensify intelligence sharing and operational synergy to eliminate terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping across the North-West region. The commitment was renewed during the North-West Conference of State Directors of Security held at the Department of State Services (DSS) Command in Katsina, themed “Unite Against Terror.”
​Addressing delegates, the Katsina State Director of the DSS, Alhassan Iliyasu, emphasised that conventional security forces cannot defeat terrorism alone, urging communities and traditional institutions to provide actionable intelligence.
Similarly, the Commander of 17 Brigade, Brigadier-General Ishaya Ibrahim, noted that military firepower must be coupled with real-time, cross-agency intelligence sharing to deny criminal elements freedom of movement across state boundaries.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal highlighted that the state’s dual approach, combining kinetic security operations with non-kinetic investments in agriculture, education, and youth empowerment has yielded notable stability.
He commended the collaboration between federal security formations and the state-backed Community Watch Corps, which has significantly reduced banditry in previously vulnerable communities.
Traditional rulers, including representatives of the Emirs of Katsina and Daura, called for decisive action against local informants supporting bandits. The conference concluded with security leaders committing to a unified operational roadmap to safeguard lives, secure transit corridors, and restore socio-economic stability across the North-West zone.
