By Abdullahi Inuwa
KATSINA — Top security chiefs from the seven states of the North West have converged on Katsina with a blunt message: the war against terrorism can no longer be fought in isolation.
The State Directors of Security (SDS) under the Department of State Services (DSS) used their second-quarter conference in Katsina on Thursday to push for stronger intelligence-sharing, deeper inter-agency cooperation and coordinated action against terrorists and bandits threatening the region.
Held at the DSS headquarters in Katsina under the theme “Unite Against Terror,” the high-level security meeting came amid renewed calls for a broader approach to insecurity—combining intelligence and military operations with measures aimed at weakening the economic and psychological roots of terrorism.
The Katsina State Government said its experience in the fight against banditry demonstrated that security operations alone may not be enough to deliver lasting peace.
Governor Dikko Umar Radda, represented by his Deputy, Farouk Jobe, said Katsina had moved from a period when about 26 local government areas were regularly affected by attacks to a situation where security had improved considerably.
Radda attributed the progress to sustained collaboration between the government and security agencies, alongside what he described as a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies.
He said the government deliberately supported victims of banditry with free medical treatment while also tackling economic vulnerabilities through major investments in agriculture.
According to him, Katsina recruited and trained 772 agricultural extension workers, equipped them with motorcycles and other tools, and consistently supported farmers with improved seeds and fertiliser.
The governor disclosed that about 400,000 bags of assorted fertiliser had been subsidised by 60 per cent and distributed to farmers over the past three years.
But Radda said winning the battle also required winning the information war.
He urged security stakeholders to adopt strategic communication to prevent terrorists and bandits from gaining psychological advantage over communities.
“Propaganda is also a form of war,” the governor said, arguing that repeatedly amplifying the capabilities of criminal groups could further weaken public morale.
He therefore challenged the security chiefs to develop communication strategies capable of reassuring citizens while reducing the psychological impact of terrorist activities.
Radda also called for stronger synergy among security agencies and urged the SDS forum to develop practical recommendations that would help governments improve their response to insecurity.
The Chairman of the North West SDS Forum and Sokoto State DSS Director, Hussain Abubakar, said the fight against terrorism required the involvement of all stakeholders.
Abub akar assured that the conference would critically examine the security challenges confronting the region and produce workable strategies for confronting terrorism and related threats.
The Katsina State DSS Director, Alhassn Iliasu, said the outcome of the deliberations would be captured in a communique to be issued after the conference.
The Katsina meeting effectively placed unity, intelligence and coordinated action at the centre of the North West’s renewed battle against terrorism.
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