Sokoto govt calls for regional approach to tackle banditry in North-West

The Sokoto State Government has called for a coordinated regional approach to tackling banditry across the North-West, saying the cross-border nature of the criminal activities makes it difficult for individual states to address the problem alone.

The state’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Col. Ahmed Usman (retd.), made the call while reacting to the Zamfara State Government’s inauguration of a 13-member State Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Peace and Security Committee.

Usman said military operations remained necessary against armed criminal groups but could not by themselves guarantee lasting peace.

“The fight against banditry cannot be won through military action alone. There must be a coordinated approach that combines effective security operations with peacebuilding, rehabilitation, justice, community engagement and reintegration where appropriate,” he said.

He said individuals who genuinely surrendered their weapons, renounced violence and demonstrated commitment to peaceful coexistence should be given an opportunity to return to lawful and productive lives.

However, he warned that those who continued to attack communities must face the law.

Usman called for stronger collaboration among North-West states, particularly in intelligence sharing, joint operations, border surveillance, community engagement and cooperation among security agencies.

“Banditry is a regional challenge, and therefore our response must also be coordinated at the regional level. What happens in one state can have direct consequences for neighbouring states,” he said.

He also urged authorities to strengthen support for lawful livelihoods and vulnerable communities to reduce the risk of people being drawn into cycles of violence.

Usman said any DDR process should be community-centred and subject to thorough screening to prevent criminal elements from exploiting the programme or infiltrating communities.