Uba Sani calls for collective action to tackle insecurity in North-West

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has called for an integrated and collective approach to addressing insecurity in the North-West geopolitical zone, stressing that no single state or security agency can tackle the challenge in isolation.

The governor made the call at the North-West Zonal Peace and Security Summit, held in Kaduna on Wednesday under the theme “Towards Enduring Peace and Harmony in the North-West Zone.” The summit was organised by the Cheren Peace Foundation in collaboration with the North-West Governors Forum.

Represented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Sule Shaibu (SAN), Uba Sani advocated coordinated security operations, governance reforms, community engagement and socio-economic recovery as critical elements in curbing insecurity across the region.

He emphasised the need to empower local communities as partners in peacebuilding, while also strengthening inter-state collaboration, intelligence sharing and joint responses to security threats.

According to the governor, the complex security challenges facing the North-West transcend state borders and are fuelled by poverty, exclusion, misinformation and weak social cohesion.

He highlighted the successes recorded through the Kaduna Peace Model, which he described as a people-centred, intelligence-led and non-kinetic security strategy complemented by conventional security measures. He explained that the model combines logistical support for security agencies with dialogue, reconciliation, social cohesion and justice.

Uba Sani noted that Kaduna State’s early-warning mechanisms and local peace structures are based on the belief that communities are not just victims of insecurity but key partners in preventing and resolving conflicts.

He added that the state is pursuing inclusive development through expanded access to education, skills acquisition and social protection programmes for youths and women, aimed at reducing the drivers of criminality and violent extremism.

The governor also cautioned against hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory narratives, urging leaders, media practitioners, civil society organisations and citizens to promote unity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for collective efforts to tackle insecurity, noting that development cannot thrive in an insecure environment.

Represented by the Emir of Jama’a, Alhaji Muhammadu Isa Muhammadu II, the Sultan urged religious leaders to champion peace by promoting inter-faith dialogue and preaching compassion, forgiveness and peaceful coexistence.

Similarly, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), represented by his Special Adviser, Alhaji Hussain Kasim, said security challenges cannot be resolved through kinetic measures alone.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to coordinated security operations through inter-agency collaboration and community-focused strategies, while advising youths to shun social vices and embrace education, skills development, entrepreneurship and community service.

In his welcome address, the convener of the summit and Founder of the Cheren Peace Foundation, Bishop Timothy Cheren, said the event was convened in response to the growing breakdown of peace across the country, marked by rising banditry and terrorism.

He recalled that the foundation previously organised a North-Central Peace Summit in Nasarawa on October 10, adding that the North-West edition was held with the support of the Kaduna State Government.