Just In: DSS Directors Meet, Brainstorm On North-West Insecurity In Kaduna

DIRECTORS of the Department of State Services drawn from North-West geopolitical zone are currently brainstorming in Kaduna on the troubling insecurity occasioned by banditry, kidnapping and other related crimes in the zone.

The meeting of the secret police is holding in the DSS office complex located along Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Way (formerly WAFF road), Kaduna on Thursday.

All the Directors of the agency from Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States were present at the meeting which was declared open by the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, represented by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shuaibu, (SAN).

The conference, which also drew representatives from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, and Plateau States, served as a platform to harmonize intelligence operations and reinforce joint response mechanisms across state boundaries.

In attendance were also heads of security agencies from the Army, Nigerian Air Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, the state Commissioner of Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Customs Service, among other paramilitary agencies.

Speaking while declaring the meeting open, Sani said intelligence-led collaboration remains the most effective tool for neutralizing security threats in the North-West and beyond.

He described the DSS as “the invisible backbone of Nigeria’s internal stability,” adding that the agency has played a vital role in safeguarding democracy and pre-empting threats across the federation. “This conference offers an opportunity for reflection, coordination, and strategic renewal,” he said.

According to the Governor, Kaduna has consistently prioritized intelligence-driven approaches, partnering closely with the DSS and other security agencies to detect and disrupt threats ranging from violent extremism and sabotage to misinformation.

He stressed that modern security management requires more than traditional intelligence gathering, calling for greater investment in analytical capacity, inter-agency trust, and technology-driven intelligence systems.

Sani also urged security leaders to embrace non-kinetic methods of peacebuilding, including community engagement, preventive diplomacy, and counter-narrative strategies.

“Peace must be pursued through justice, development, and inclusion,” he added.

The Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, who also attended the event, commended the DSS for sustaining close cooperation with traditional institutions in tackling community-level disputes and security threats.

He disclosed that through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms facilitated with DSS support, the Zazzau Emirate had successfully decongested its courts by over 2,000 cases in two years.

The monarch also lauded the agency’s vetting of district and village heads, saying the process has helped identify and weed out unfit traditional officials. “It’s better to get rid of them from the beginning than allow them to exploit their people,” he said.

The General Officer Commanding, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj-Gen. Mohammed Wase, who was represented at the event by the 1 Division Garrison Commander, Brigadier General Mohammed Kana said the Army had substantially defeated the bandits and terrorists in the region due to consistent actionable intelligence from the DSS.

Earlier in his welcome address, Kaduna State Director of the DSS, Mr. Hakeem Abiola, said the zonal meeting was convened to review operational challenges and improve synergy among security formations across the North-West zone.

Abiola said the DSS has successfully implemented several kinetic and non-kinetic operations under the leadership of the Director-General, Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, including community-based peace initiatives that “win the hearts and minds” of citizens.

He highlighted the service’s collaboration with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society as central to sustaining peace in Kaduna.

“Through regular engagements with JNI, CAN, and community leaders, we’ve been able to resolve sensitive disputes before they escalate,” he said. ENDS