National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has warned that military force alone will not resolve Nigeria’s banditry crisis, calling for an approach that combines intelligence, border management, community cooperation and measures to protect rural livelihoods.
Ribadu’s position was delivered by Zakari Mijinyawa, Director of Legal Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser, at a security discussion organized by the Sokoto Advancement Forum and the Centre for Peace Studies at Usmanu Danfodiyo University.
He said armed groups had moved beyond isolated robbery and cattle theft into activities that included kidnapping, territorial control, illegal taxation and interference with agriculture and commerce.
Sokoto’s proximity to Niger Republic and the wider Sahel created additional challenges, Ribadu said, because criminal groups could exploit porous borders and cross-border networks to move personnel, weapons and supplies.
He proposed five broad priorities: preventing armed groups from establishing safe havens, improving early warning and intelligence, rebuilding public trust, protecting farms and other livelihoods, and reducing the recruitment of young people into violent networks.
Ribadu identified Sabon Birni, Isa, Tangaza and Goronyo as areas requiring stronger arrangements for reporting threats and suspicious movements. He said communities were more likely to share information when they trusted authorities to respond promptly and protect informants.
The national security adviser also supported lawful rehabilitation for eligible individuals who renounced violence, while warning that reintegration should neither replace justice nor reward criminal conduct.
He argued that security success should be measured by more than arrests and weapons seizures. The return of displaced families, reopening of schools and markets, and resumption of farming would offer more meaningful indicators of lasting stability.
Chairman of the Sokoto Advancement Forum, Muhammad Ahmad Wali, said security incidents had affected 21 of the state’s 23 local government areas. He also cited reports that more than 1,100 people were kidnapped in the 12 months to June 2026. These figures were presented by the forum and were not independently verified in the supplied account.
Participants were urged to develop practical recommendations that could be submitted to public authorities and security agencies. The discussion highlighted the need to connect military operations with justice, local economic recovery and sustained civilian protection.
