Governor Sani Proposes North-West Theatre Command to Fight Bandits

Eshioromeh Sebastian

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has called for the creation of a unified military command for Nigeria’s North-West to more effectively combat bandits and kidnappers.

The proposal was made during a Public Hearing of the North-West Zonal Security Summit in Kaduna, which was convened by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on National Security and attended by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, federal lawmakers, and top security chiefs.

Governor Sani stated that a North-West Theatre Command should be established, merging the Army’s 1st and 8th Divisions under a single structure. He argued that “this will accelerate intelligence sharing, enhance coordinated operations, and dismantle cross-state criminal networks more effectively.”

He also recommended expanding the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to cover Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic. “This expansion will disrupt arms trafficking routes, deny criminals cross-border sanctuaries, and weaken the networks that sustain their operations,” he said.

While emphasising the need for military strength, the governor also warned that it alone would not end the crisis. “Community trust and participation are indispensable,” he added, proposing permanent security committees at state and local levels to function as early-warning systems.

The governor renewed his call for state police, arguing that “with fewer than 400,000 police officers nationwide, many rural communities are left without meaningful protection.”

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, used the summit to reassure the public of the government’s commitment. “The President’s directive is to establish a strong yet adaptive national security architecture to eradicate these threats,” he said.

“We are committed to ensuring that such violations of the rights of our children and threats to our development goals do not occur again.”

The minister noted that despite ongoing challenges, security operations had recorded progress, with joint operations across several states reopening critical routes and allowing some displaced communities to return. He admitted, however, that “the North-West continues to face lingering threats from bandits, terror cells and organised criminal networks despite the relentless efforts of our troops.”

Adding an academic perspective, Prof. Muhammad Isa of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, presented a keynote paper in which he criticised the current approach.

He stated that “even where tactical gains occur, they fail to translate into sustainable peace because structural drivers of insecurity remain unaddressed.” He argued for a regional collaboration framework capable of integrating security, governance and development responses across the North-West.

The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Senator Babangida Hussaini, explained that the summit was designed to allow stakeholders “frankly discuss the increasing and alarming rates of insecurity in our zone and the nation at large.”

He announced that a National Security Summit would hold in Abuja on December 1, where the views gathered from across the country would be harmonised. “This is a testament that Mr President is not leaving any stone unturned in the search for actionable solutions to this national emergency,” Hussaini said.

The summit was held against a backdrop of fresh attacks, including the abduction of 26 students from a school in Kebbi State and the seizure of over 300 students and staff from schools in Niger State, incidents which have heightened public concern and lent urgency to the search for solutions.