Governance
Sokoto Deputy Governor Seeks Intelligence Sharing, Cross-Border Cooperation Against Banditry
The Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir, has called for improved intelligence gathering, adequate funding for security operations and stronger accountability in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.
He made the call in Abuja while representing Governor Ahmed Aliyu at a policy roundtable on countering insurgencies, organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), under the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC) and other partners.
The Deputy Governor expressed concern over the activities of bandits operating across border communities in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states.
Alhaji Idris Gobir stressed the need for security agencies to intensify surveillance and leverage local intelligence to identify and dismantle criminal hideouts.
He also expressed concern over the circulation of inflammatory content on social media, urging the authorities to ensure accountability for actions capable of undermining national security.
The Deputy Governor emphasised that tackling insecurity required collective responsibility, sustained political commitment and effective collaboration among security agencies, government institutions and local communities.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the NCTC, General Adamu Garba Laka, called for stronger intelligence coordination, community engagement and preventive measures to curb the spread of insurgency and banditry in North-West and North-Central Nigeria.
He said military operations must be complemented by effective governance, strategic communication and rehabilitation programmes to address the underlying causes of insecurity.
According to him, armed groups continue to exploit poverty, unemployment, local grievances, competition over land and natural resources, coercion and governance gaps to recruit members.
The NCTC coordinator reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to harmonising Nigeria’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) framework and strengthening cooperation among relevant institutions.
The Deputy German Ambassador to Nigeria also supported the preventive approach, noting that military action alone could not resolve the security crisis.
He disclosed that Germany had provided more than €80 million to the Northwest Prevention Facility to support peace structures, early-warning systems and livelihood initiatives.
He added that Niger and Kebbi states were expected to join the next phase of the programme.
Similarly, the African Union Commission’s representative, Mrs Joselyns Nehimana, called for stronger intelligence-sharing, cross-border cooperation and human rights-based rehabilitation programmes.
Earlier, Dr Oyawole Ohimini, a senior researcher at BICC, urged authorities to look beyond forests and remote communities in addressing banditry.
He identified ransom-financing networks, misinformation and disinformation as factors sustaining armed violence, stressing the need to tackle the broader networks that enable criminal groups to operate.
The two-day policy roundtable is being held under the project titled Breaking Patterns of Armed Violence, Preventing Recruitment and Supporting Exit from Armed Groups in Africa.
Signed by Garba Mohammed
Director, Press Affairs
Deputy Governor’s Office
Sokoto State