The Department of State Services (DSS) has called for stronger, sustained collaboration among security agencies, government institutions, traditional authorities and local communities to confront terrorism, banditry and other emerging threats in Nigeria’s North-West region.
Conference seeks united approach
The appeal was made during the second North-West Zonal Conference of State Directors of Security, which the DSS hosted in Katsina State under the theme “Unite Against Terror.” The conference brought together security directors from across the zone to compare experiences and to shape coordinated responses to the region’s evolving security environment.
Representing the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi was represented by the Chairman of the North-West Forum of State Directors of Security, Kano State Director of Security, Husseini Abubakar. Abubakar described the gathering as an opportunity for stakeholders to identify operational gaps and devise containment strategies.
“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 told delegates he was optimistic about the value of the technical sessions and stressed that the fight against terror must be completed through joint effort. He also said the DSS, under its current leadership, is working to strengthen tactical capabilities and improve personnel capacity to respond to security challenges.
Coordination and intelligence-led operations
In his welcome address, Alhassan Iliyasu, the Katsina State Director of Security, said the conference aimed to reinforce intelligence-led operations and develop coordinated responses to threats. Iliyasu highlighted the critical role of synergy among security and law enforcement agencies across the zone.
The organisers emphasised several priority areas:
- Information sharing: Enhancing mechanisms for exchanging intelligence among federal, state and local agencies.
- Community engagement: Strengthening ties with traditional authorities and civil society to improve early warning and reporting.
- Capacity building: Training and equipping personnel to respond to dynamic threats, including banditry and terrorism.
Why the conference matters
Security in the North-West has been shaped by a mix of insurgent activity and criminal networks that exploit weak local governance and limited resources. While the conference focused on broad strategic coordination rather than operational outcomes, organisers framed it as a necessary step to sharpen intelligence-led tactics and to institutionalise joint responses across states in the zone.
Delegates were expected to use the technical sessions to compare field experiences and identify best practices that can be scaled or adapted by neighbouring states. The DSS delegation emphasised the importance of interoperable systems and closer cooperation between agencies to prevent duplication and to speed up responses when incidents occur.
Participants and next steps
Officials at the event signalled an intention to translate conference recommendations into follow-up action, including further training, improved tactical coordination and more robust engagement with traditional and community leaders. The DSS said it would continue to monitor implementation of agreed measures.
| Organiser | Location | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| DSS (North-West Zonal Conference of State Directors of Security) | Katsina State | Unite Against Terror |
While the conference does not replace on-the-ground operations, security experts often say that improved intelligence sharing and community cooperation are prerequisites for sustained progress against banditry and terrorism. For citizens in affected communities, the immediate expectation will be a more visible alignment of resources and clearer communication about preventive measures and rapid response protocols.
Officials at the conference commended existing synergy among security agencies in the zone, but they acknowledged more work remains to ensure that intelligence leads quickly to effective, coordinated action.
Reporting on regional security coordination contributes to public understanding of how agencies intend to confront threats; it also sets benchmarks against which the public can measure follow-through. The DSS conference in Katsina was positioned as part of that process, signalling an administrative commitment to unified action across the North-West.
