Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, and Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, have called for stronger regional cooperation and coordinated security operations to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other security threats across the North-West.
They made the call on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at the opening of a three-day North-West Security Summit in Gusau, Zamfara State, organised by the Nigeria Police Force.
The summit, themed “Appraising the Security Challenges in the North-West Region,” brought together representatives of North-West states, heads of security and intelligence agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Lawal calls for coordinated operations
Speaking at the summit, Governor Lawal said the security crisis in the region had gone beyond isolated criminal incidents, with organised groups operating across state boundaries.
He called for coordinated security operations to dismantle the networks behind banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling.
“The North-West’s security crisis exceeds isolated crimes. Organised networks conduct banditry, kidnapping, and cattle rustling across borders, threatening livelihoods, food security, education, investment, and the social fabric,” Lawal said.
The governor said the situation required states and security agencies to work together rather than respond to threats independently.
He called for real-time intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, inter-state surveillance and community policing, while urging security agencies to target the financial, logistical and supply networks sustaining organised crime.
“This reality demands moving beyond fragmented responses because criminal networks ignore state boundaries,” he said.
“Our security must operate cohesively. Intelligence in Zamfara can prevent attacks elsewhere, and operations nearby can disrupt threats in Zamfara.”
Lawal also raised questions about how security agencies could disrupt criminal supply chains, restrict the movement of criminals across forests and communities, and strengthen security around vulnerable corridors without affecting legitimate economic activities.
He further called for efforts to identify and dismantle networks of informants and facilitators supporting criminal activities.
The governor said bandits who reject peace efforts should face the full consequences of the law.
Disu: North-West security requires collective effort
In his opening address, IGP Disu said securing the North-West was a collective responsibility, given the region’s importance to Nigeria.
He stressed that no single security agency, government or institution could tackle the region’s security challenges alone.
“We are combining states to tackle the issue of insecurity. We have come together, we police together, we share intelligence together. We have made up our minds to take the fight to these criminals,” Disu said.
“But we also recognise that policing is most effective when it is supported by the people.”
The IGP called for stronger intelligence sharing, inter-state cooperation, coordinated operations, border security and community engagement.
He also highlighted the role of traditional institutions and local communities in providing credible intelligence and supporting crime prevention.
‘Criminality has no ethnicity’
Disu cautioned stakeholders against ethnic and religious profiling in the fight against insecurity.
He said security efforts should focus on criminal networks and those who support them rather than attributing criminality to particular ethnic or religious groups.
“Criminality has no ethnicity and terrorism has no religion,” the IGP said.
He urged security agencies and other stakeholders to identify and bring to justice criminal networks, their sponsors, arms suppliers, informants and facilitators, regardless of their background or affiliation.
Focus on practical security measures
The summit is expected to address major security concerns across the region, including banditry, kidnapping, arms proliferation, communal conflicts and farmer-herder tensions.
Disu reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to intelligence-led policing, technology-driven operations, rapid response and stronger collaboration with other security agencies.
He said the police would continue to deploy personnel, capabilities and partnerships to secure the region while supporting state governments and other security agencies.
Both the IGP and Governor Lawal stressed the need for security measures that go beyond individual states, as criminal networks continue to operate across state boundaries.
The three-day summit is expected to produce practical and measurable resolutions aimed at strengthening security, protecting vulnerable communities, disrupting criminal networks and restoring public confidence across the North-West.
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