The Department of State Services has raised concerns over rising security threats in the North-West, warning that banditry, arms trafficking, cybercrime, illegal mining, and sabotage of critical national assets continue to threaten peace and stability in the region.
The warning was issued during the 20th North-West Zonal Directors’ Conference organised by the DSS in Kano.
Speaking at the event, the Kano State Director of the DSS, Abubakar Hussaini, said security agencies must intensify collaboration and intelligence sharing to tackle emerging threats confronting the region.
According to him, crimes such as cyberbullying, cyberstalking, illegal arms trafficking, and attacks on national assets have become major security concerns requiring urgent and coordinated action.
“The task of containing arms and ammunition trafficking, cyberbullying, illegal mining, and sabotage of critical national assets is not negotiable,” Hussaini stated.
He explained that the DSS, as the country’s lead intelligence agency, remains committed to gathering and sharing actionable intelligence with other security agencies while also conducting tactical operations to support enforcement efforts.
Hussaini stressed that effective collaboration among security agencies remains critical to addressing insecurity in the North-West.
Also speaking at the conference, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, pledged continued support for intelligence and security agencies operating in the state.
The governor described the conference as an important platform for security officials to develop coordinated strategies against insecurity.
Yusuf noted that Kano, as the most populous and cosmopolitan state in the North-West, remains vulnerable to threats affecting neighbouring states due to the interconnected nature of insecurity in the region.
He cited the recent abduction of the Secretary of Kibiya Local Government Area, Alhaji Hamza Musa Durba, saying the victim was rescued through an intelligence-led operation carried out by the DSS and other security agencies.
The governor disclosed that his administration had invested in upgrading security equipment earlier provided for the DSS and promised continued logistical support for security operations in the state.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting security operations across the country.
Yusuf, however, acknowledged that Kano still faces threats including banditry, farmer-herder clashes, cybercrime, and the activities of criminal gangs despite relative peace in the state.
The governor further praised the Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, for promoting inter-agency cooperation and strengthening intelligence operations nationwide.
The conference was attended by DSS directors from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, alongside heads of other security agencies in the North-West.
