Ribadu: Military Force Alone Cannot End Banditry, Calls for Community Intelligence

National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has said military operations alone cannot eliminate banditry, stressing the need for improved intelligence-sharing, effective border management and stronger community participation to address insecurity.

Ribadu said banditry had evolved beyond cattle rustling, highway robbery and kidnapping to include the occupation of territories, illegal taxation of rural communities and disruption of economic activities.

He made this known through the Director of Legal Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, at a brainstorming session on coping with banditry organised by the Sokoto Advancement Forum in collaboration with the Centre for Peace Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

The NSA noted that Sokoto State’s proximity to the Republic of Niger and the wider Sahel region had given banditry a cross-border dimension, allowing armed groups to exploit porous borders and security gaps to sustain their operations.

He called for a comprehensive security strategy combining intelligence-driven operations, effective border control, regional cooperation and efforts to disrupt the supply of illegal weapons and other logistical support to criminal groups.

Ribadu also emphasised the importance of addressing the socioeconomic factors that expose young people to recruitment by criminal networks. He advocated lawful rehabilitation programmes for eligible individuals willing to renounce violence, while warning that such initiatives must not undermine justice.

According to him, reintegration must not be used as a substitute for justice or as a means of rewarding criminal activities.

The NSA identified five priority areas for strengthening security in Sokoto: denying armed groups safe havens, improving intelligence and early-warning mechanisms, building trust between communities and security agencies, protecting agriculture and rural livelihoods, and preventing the recruitment of young people into criminal networks.

He urged security agencies to improve coordination and information-sharing, noting that public cooperation would increase when residents were confident that their intelligence reports would attract timely responses and that sensitive information would be adequately protected.

Ribadu specifically identified Sabon Birni, Isa, Tangaza and Goronyo as areas requiring stronger early-warning systems to ensure that reports of suspicious movements and emerging security threats reached the appropriate authorities without delay.

He warned that persistent insecurity was undermining farming, commercial activities and children’s education, with serious implications for food production and the wider economy.

The NSA maintained that the effectiveness of security operations should not be judged solely by the number of arrests made, weapons recovered or territories cleared, but also by the extent to which affected communities regained normalcy.

He said meaningful progress would be reflected in safer communities, the return of displaced families, productive farmlands, reopened schools, functioning markets and renewed public confidence in government.

Earlier, Chairman of the Sokoto Advancement Forum, Prof. Muhammad Ahmad Wali, disclosed that security incidents had been recorded in 21 of Sokoto State’s 23 local government areas.

Wali further revealed that more than 1,100 people were reportedly kidnapped in the state during the 12-month period leading to June 2026, describing the situation as a serious threat to lives, livelihoods and the authority of government.

He called for improved intelligence gathering, stronger border control, swift administration of justice, greater community participation and the creation of economic opportunities for young people as part of efforts to address the crisis.

Also speaking, the forum’s Vice Chairman, Prof. Riskuwa Arabu Shehu, urged participants to develop practical recommendations with measurable outcomes.

He said the forum would compile the conclusions of the brainstorming session into a report and communiqué for submission to government, security agencies and relevant community stakeholders.