Top directors of the Department of State Services (DSS) from the North-West geopolitical zone have converged in Kaduna for a high-level strategic meeting aimed at tackling the persistent insecurity plaguing the region.
The meeting, which began on Thursday at the DSS Zonal Command office complex along Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Way, brought together directors from Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. Representatives from the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Plateau states were also in attendance, alongside heads of other security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Police, Customs, FRSC, and NSCDC.
Declaring the conference open, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, represented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shuaibu (SAN), underscored the importance of intelligence-driven collaboration in addressing the region’s security crisis.
“Intelligence-led collaboration remains the most effective tool for neutralising security threats in the North-West and across the country,” the governor said.
He lauded the DSS as “the invisible backbone of Nigeria’s internal stability”, commending its role in safeguarding democracy and pre-empting threats nationwide.
“This conference offers an opportunity for reflection, coordination, and strategic renewal,” he added.
Governor Sani reiterated his administration’s commitment to intelligence-based security management, stressing that effective modern security now requires investment in analytical capacity, inter-agency trust, and technology-enhanced intelligence systems.
“Peace must be pursued through justice, development, and inclusion,” he said, while urging security agencies to adopt non-kinetic peacebuilding strategies such as community engagement, preventive diplomacy, and counter-narrative approaches.
In his remarks, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, commended the DSS for its sustained partnership with traditional institutions in resolving community-level disputes. He revealed that the emirate had resolved over 2,000 cases in two years through DSS-facilitated alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
“Through our collaboration with the DSS, we’ve been able to decongest our courts and ensure justice at the grassroots,” Bamalli said. “It’s better to get rid of unfit traditional officials from the beginning than to allow them to exploit their people.”
Representing the General Officer Commanding, 1 Division Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Wase, the Garrison Commander, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Kana, credited the DSS with providing actionable intelligence that has enabled military successes against terrorists and bandits across the region.
“The DSS’s intelligence support has been crucial to our operational gains in the North-West,” Kana affirmed.
Earlier, the Kaduna State Director of the DSS, Mr Hakeem Abiola, said the zonal conference was convened to review operational challenges and strengthen inter-agency coordination.
“Under the leadership of the Director-General, Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, the DSS has adopted both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches, including community-based peace initiatives designed to win the hearts and minds of citizens,” Abiola stated.
He highlighted the Service’s continuous engagement with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society groups such as the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which he said has helped defuse tensions before they escalate.
“Through regular engagements with JNI, CAN, and community leaders, we’ve been able to resolve sensitive disputes before they turn violent,” he said.
LEADERSHIP reports that the North-West has endured relentless waves of banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism in recent years, with the crisis spilling over into neighbouring regions.
