The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies, government institutions and communities to tackle terrorism, banditry and other criminal activities in the Northwest.
Ajayi made the call at the second Northwest Zonal Conference of State Directors of Security on Thursday in Katsina organized by the DSS with the theme, “Unite Against Terror.”
Represented by the Chairman, Northwest Forum of State Directors of Security and Kano State Director of Security, Husseini Abubakar, the DSS boss said the conference provided an opportunity for security stakeholders to review the evolving security situation in the region, share operational experiences and develop effective strategies to contain terrorism and banditry.
He said: “The Northwest SDSS Conference edition will be another avenue for us to compare notes, share experiences and take stock of the evolving and endemic security challenges, particularly the threat of banditry, and to think of appropriate containment strategies toward securing our communities.”
Ajayi said the DSS was also enhancing the tactical capabilities of its personnel to enable the Service to respond more effectively to emerging security threats.
He praised the existing synergy between security and law enforcement agencies in the region, noting that such collaboration was vital to securing communities.
“We should remember that the war against terror is a task that must be accomplished. I am optimistic as we go into the technical session,” he said.
The Katsina State Director of Security, Alhassan Iliyasu, in his welcome address said the conference was geared toward strengthening intelligence-led operations and developing a common regional strategy against insecurity.
The summit, with the theme ‘Unite Against Terror’, was said by Iliyasu to be aimed at emphasizing the significance of collective action and stressing that the security of communities should not be left in the hands of security agencies alone.
He said: “It involves everybody, the whole society, not just the security agencies, by standing together against terror.”
He said Katsina State had adopted a community-based security approach involving the government, security agencies, community watch structures and vigilante groups to address security threats.
“If you see in Katsina State, that theme, ‘Unite Against Terror’ is no longer news because we live as one family. Any time of the day, no matter how late it is, whoever you call among the action agencies, we are responding,” Iliyasu said.
He said the conference would afford participants the opportunity to critically examine the security challenges facing the Northwest, review the existing counter-measures and develop renewed strategies against banditry and other related criminal activities.
Iliyasu said a communique would be issued at the end of the deliberations to serve as a roadmap for coordinated security responses across the region.
“By the end of the day, after brainstorming, we will come up with a communique, and the communique will be like a roadmap that will be used or considered for effective countermeasures against banditry and related criminal organizations or criminal activities in the entire North-West,” he said.
The Katsina State Director of Security also called for increased community engagement in intelligence gathering, urging residents to report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.
“We cannot leave anybody behind, because it is our civic responsibility to see something and say something, to hear something and review and report,” he said.
The conference was attended by State Directors of Security from Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, government officials and retired security personnel.
The participants are expected to discuss intelligence sharing, inter-agency cooperation, community engagement and other measures aimed at strengthening the collective capacity of the seven Northwest states to confront terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of organized crime.