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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
State Directors of Security in the Department of State Services (DSS), North West Zone, yesterday, at their quarterly meeting, expressed worry over increasing rate of insecurity in the region.
Also, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-rufai, represented by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said insecurity in the zone was disturbing, but surmountable throughout concerted collaboration among stakeholders.
In his opening remarks at the zonal conference, the Chief Host and Director, DSS, Kaduna State Command, Mr. Abdul Eneche, said with adequate collaboration among all stakeholders, security challenges could be tackled headlong.
He said the conference was for the first quarter of this year, but it was shifted to May because of the recently concluded general elections in the country. He said the meeting was to review insecurity in the region, particularly kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, rustling and other related crimes.
Eneche noted that states in the North West share similar security challenges, and called on the governors in the region to organise similar meetings for effective collaboration against insecurity.
“We remain resolute to ensure that a permanent solution is achieved not only in the states, but in the region,” he said.
However, in an interview with newsmen shortly after the opening ceremony of the conference, Mr. Eneche said: “To prevent criminals moving from one location to another while fighting, the need for collaboration became paramount. So, all the states collaborate, and then, they meet every quarter to do assessment and review of all that had happened during the quarter, and the essence is to find gaps, mistakes that need to be improved upon and strategy of forging ahead in the next quarter.
“Honestly, like I mentioned in my speech, it’s not the job of a single security agency. Collaboration has worked so much for us in Kaduna State, and like you mentioned in the case of Niger, Niger is not in the Northwest zone, but we know by nature of geographical location, they are adjacent to Kaduna State.
They share boundaries with us. There are other collaborations with the state Director of DSS in Niger, because they also form their own North-Central geopolitical zone where they share ideas.
“All that we do here, we also send to National Headquarters in Abuja. So, as all the zones bring their various reports into Abuja; it is harnessed into one single report and used to address security challenges in the country. Here, we also give out the communique of this conference to all the state governors of the North-West. The essence is for them to also come together to review and see what we have done, so far, and what needs to be done, and the area that needs to be improved upon and, in the process, addressing the general insecurity in the Northwest.”
While declaring the event open, Governor Nasir El-rufai said: “Many northern states, not least our states in the Northwest – are confronting a unique set of security challenges. Criminal activities by bandits have threatened both rural and urban communities. Bandits have openly tried to crush the rural economy by attacking farmers in their fields, and in their homes. In many states, these criminals continue to menace some highways.
“In pursuing these mandates over the last four years, we have witnessed the progressive streamlining of security coordination, the strengthening of inter-agency collaboration, the creation and sustaining a robust intelligence gathering framework and improved responses to security incidents.
“We have also facilitated consistent and detailed documentation of security incidents and statistics, as well as enhanced communication between government, security agencies and citizenry through updates and publications.
“Here in Kaduna State, especially over the last 18 months, we welcomed the intensification of ground and air action against the bandits, and we are most grateful to the federal security agencies for these operations and the successes recorded.
“Hundreds of bandits have been neutralised and numerous camps destroyed. We acknowledge, with appreciation, that these achievements were in large part, a result of the close cooperation and support built between the Kaduna State Government and the Department of State Services.
“During the last quarterly session of State Directors of Security held here, nearly two years ago, we highlighted the importance of collaboration in the framework of security management. That importance has not diminished. If anything, it is even more pertinent as we seek to amplify our localised successes across the Northwest.
“While we commend the unprecedented levels of collaboration over the common challenge of rural banditry and terrorism, one fact stands out clearly: the fight against banditry and terrorism in our states, has become even more condensed into one fight.”
