The Federal Government has called for stronger intelligence-sharing, tighter border controls and greater community participation to tackle banditry, as security concerns persist across Sokoto State.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said military operations alone could not end the crisis, stressing the need for a coordinated approach that addresses both security threats and the conditions that make young people vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups.
Ribadu spoke through the Director of Legal Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, at a brainstorming session on banditry organised by the Sokoto Advancement Forum in collaboration with the Centre for Peace Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
He noted that Sokoto’s proximity to Niger Republic and the wider Sahel had given the crisis a cross-border dimension, with armed groups exploiting porous borders and security gaps.
“We must therefore combine intelligence-led operations, effective border management, regional cooperation and sustained action against the supply of illicit weapons and other logistical support”, he said.
The NSA also called for measures to address socioeconomic conditions that make young people vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups, alongside lawful rehabilitation programmes for eligible individuals willing to abandon violence.
“Reintegration must never replace justice or reward violence”, he said.
Ribadu outlined five priorities for improving security in Sokoto: denying armed groups safe havens, strengthening intelligence and early-warning systems, building community trust, protecting agriculture and rural livelihoods, and preventing youth recruitment into criminal networks.
He urged security agencies to improve coordination and information-sharing, noting that public cooperation would increase if residents trusted authorities to respond effectively and protect sensitive information.
He identified Sabon Birni, Isa, Tangaza and Goronyo as areas where early-warning systems should be strengthened to ensure prompt reporting of suspicious movements and emerging threats.
Ribadu warned that insecurity was disrupting farming, commerce and education, with implications for food production and the wider economy.
“Success must also mean safer communities, returning families, productive farms, reopened schools, functioning markets and the restoration of public confidence”, he said.
Earlier, Chairman of the Sokoto Advancement Forum, Professor Muhammad Ahmad Wali, said security incidents had been recorded in 21 of the state’s 23 local government areas.
He added that more than 1,100 people were reportedly kidnapped in Sokoto in the 12 months to June 2026, describing the crisis as a threat to lives, livelihoods and government authority.
Wali called for stronger intelligence gathering, effective border control, swift justice, community involvement and economic opportunities for young people.
The forum’s Vice Chairman, Professor Riskuwa Arabu Shehu, urged participants to develop measurable recommendations, saying the outcome would be compiled into a report and communiqué for government, security agencies and community stakeholders.
