Kano, DSS push for stronger North-West security collaboration amid rising threats

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has called for stronger intelligence sharing and coordinated security operations across the North-West, warning that insecurity in neighbouring states continues to pose threats to Kano despite relative peace in the state.

The governor made the call on Thursday while declaring open the North-West Zonal Directors Conference of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kano.

Addressing delegates from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, Yusuf described the conference as a critical platform for security agencies to deepen collaboration against growing threats such as banditry, arms trafficking, kidnapping and cyber-related crimes.

He said Kano’s strategic position as the most populous and cosmopolitan state in the region makes it vulnerable to spillover effects of insecurity from neighbouring states.

According to him, intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency cooperation remain essential in preventing criminal networks from gaining ground in the state.

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The governor cited the recent rescue of the Secretary of Kibiya Local Government Area, Alhaji Hamza Musa Durba, who was abducted by kidnappers but later freed through what he described as a swift intelligence-led operation.

“There is no doubt that our security and intelligence agencies deserve absolute commendation,” Yusuf said.

He praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, for what he called sustained commitment to strengthening national security architecture and supporting security agencies with the resources needed to combat emerging threats.

Yusuf also commended DSS operatives for intercepting illegal arms and ammunition allegedly being moved across states in the region, noting that such operations have helped in disrupting violent criminal activities.

While acknowledging that Kano has remained comparatively stable, the governor admitted that the state still faces several security concerns, including farmers-herders clashes, cyberbullying, youth violence and activities of criminal gangs.

He assured security agencies of his administration’s continued support, expressing optimism that the conference would generate fresh strategies to improve public safety and socio-economic stability in the region.
Earlier, the Kano State Director of the DSS, Hussein Abubakar, stressed the need for stronger collaboration among security and intelligence agencies to tackle evolving threats across the North-West.

He said the conference aligned with the vision of the DSS leadership to improve regional cooperation and intelligence sharing among commands in the zone.

Abubakar listed major security challenges confronting the region to include banditry, illegal arms trafficking, sabotage of national assets, illegal mining, cyberbullying and hate campaigns capable of threatening national unity.

“The task of containing these threats is not negotiable,” he said, adding that the DSS would continue to gather and disseminate actionable intelligence to sister security agencies.

He noted that the Service was also complementing law enforcement agencies through tactical operations while sustaining its constitutional mandate of protecting Nigeria’s democracy and national stability.

Also speaking, the Director-General of Special Services in Kano, retired Major General Muhammad Sani, said insecurity in the North-West had continued to undermine economic activities and social cohesion.

According to him, the growing cases of banditry, kidnapping and communal violence require closer cooperation between state governments and federal authorities to effectively contain the threats.

The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Lawal Mani, also emphasised the importance of sustained synergy among security agencies.

He said ongoing collaboration among security formations in Kano was already producing positive results in intelligence gathering and crime prevention across the state.