DSS, Army Unite To End Banditry In North-West

The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army have pledged to deepen intelligence sharing and operational coordination to end banditry and terrorism in the North-West.

The commitment followed a security conference held in Katsina, where security chiefs warned that terrorists and bandits were exploiting gaps in intelligence sharing, coordination and trust among security agencies to sustain criminal activities across the region.

The North-West Conference of State Directors of Security, themed: “Unite Against Terror,” brought together State Directors of Security, military commanders, heads of security agencies, community security formations, traditional institutions and retired senior intelligence officers.

Commander of the 17th Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Ishaya Ibrahim, said criminal groups had continued to exploit weaknesses in the region’s security architecture, particularly gaps in information and coordination.

He said terrorists and bandits did not recognise state boundaries and could move between areas whenever they identified weaknesses in security operations.

“They exploit gaps, gaps in information, gaps in coordination and gaps in trust,” Ibrahim said.

The Army commander stressed that improved intelligence sharing between the DSS and military was essential for effective operations, particularly in identifying threats, tracking criminal groups and enabling security forces to respond with greater precision.

He described intelligence from the DSS as critical to military operations, particularly human intelligence, surveillance, threat assessments and information obtained through community networks.

Ibrahim urged security agencies to operate as partners rather than separate institutions, saying seamless coordination was necessary to prevent criminal elements from exploiting institutional boundaries.

The Katsina State Director of Security, Alhassan Iliyasu, said the conference was aimed at reviewing the security challenges confronting the North-West and developing practical measures to strengthen counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations.

He said the “Unite Against Terror” theme underscored the need for a whole-of-society approach, with communities playing a key role in providing credible information to security agencies.

Iliyasu also commended the existing cooperation among security agencies in Katsina, saying the synergy had contributed to improvements in the state’s security situation.

Representing the Katsina State governor and chairman of the North-West Governors’ Forum, the deputy governor, Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe, said the fight against insecurity required both military operations and sustained interventions addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability.

Jobe said Katsina had combined security operations with interventions in agriculture, education, healthcare, employment and support for communities affected by banditry.

He urged security agencies to strengthen feedback mechanisms with communities, noting that residents remained an important source of intelligence in the fight against criminal groups.

Participants at the conference are expected to produce a communique containing actionable measures on intelligence sharing, joint operations, community engagement and coordinated responses to terrorism and banditry across the North-West.