BY AMOS MATHEW, Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has called for a more integrated and coordinated security system that balances military operations with community engagement and long-term development to effectively tackle the persistent insecurity in the North-West region.
Speaking at the Public Hearing of the North West Zonal Security Summit organised by the Senate Adhoc Committee on National Security in Kaduna on Saturday, the Governor proposed the establishment of a North-West Theatre Command to unify the operations of the Nigerian Army’s 1st and 8th Divisions.
He said such a command structure would enhance intelligence sharing, foster coordinated operations and help dismantle criminal networks operating across State borders more effectively.
Sani also advocated the expansion of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to cover Nigeria’s borders with Niger Republic, noting that this would disrupt arms trafficking routes, deny criminals sanctuary and weaken the networks sustaining their activities.
The Governor, however, maintained that military force alone cannot end insecurity, stressing the need for trust-building between citizens and the state.
He proposed the creation of permanent Security Committees at state and local government levels comprising traditional rulers, religious leaders, women’s groups, youth organisations, civil society and security agencies.
According to him, the committees would serve as early-warning platforms, conflict resolution bodies and channels for strengthening community participation in security management.
Governor Sani renewed his call for State Police, arguing that Nigeria’s centralised policing structure is overstretched and unable to effectively secure a country of over 230 million people with vast ungoverned spaces.
On his part, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s determination to overhaul the national security architecture and eliminate threats to citizens’ safety.
He noted that security operations across Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi had recorded progress, reopening major routes and enabling displaced communities to return home.
He added that markets in several frontline areas were experiencing increased activity, while many schools previously closed due to insecurity had resumed under improved protection.
Despite these gains, Badaru admitted that the North-West still faces threats from bandits, terror cells and organised criminal groups, stressing that more coordinated efforts were necessary.
A keynote speaker, Prof. Muhammad Kabir Isa of the Ahmadu Bello University, said current security strategies in the region have been limited by fragmentation, weak intelligence systems, overstretched security institutions and the absence of a comprehensive regional framework.
He called for a robust regional collaboration platform capable of harmonising strategies, integrating multiple actors and addressing both immediate security threats and long-term governance and development challenges.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Senator Babangida Hussaini, said the summit was convened to allow stakeholders to frankly discuss the escalating insecurity in the zone.
He noted that a National Security Summit will take place in Abuja on December 1 to aggregate nationwide inputs and chart a clear path to securing the country.
Hussaini commended Governor Uba Sani for his overwhelming support to the success of the summit, describing his involvement as unprecedented.
