The Department of State Services (DSS) has warned that banditry, arms trafficking, cybercrime, illegal mining and attacks on critical national infrastructure are increasingly threatening peace and stability in Nigeria’s North‑West region.
The warning was issued at the 20th North‑West Zonal Directors’ Conference held in Kano. Speaking at the event, Kano State DSS Director Abubakar Hussaini urged intensified collaboration and intelligence‑sharing among security agencies to tackle emerging threats.
“Crimes such as cyberbullying, cyberstalking, illegal arms trafficking and attacks on national assets have become major security concerns requiring urgent and coordinated action,” Hussaini said. “The task of containing arms and ammunition trafficking, cybercrime, illegal mining and sabotage of critical national assets is not negotiable.”
Hussaini said the DSS, as the country’s lead intelligence agency, remains committed to gathering and sharing actionable intelligence and conducting tactical operations to support enforcement efforts across the region.
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf told the conference his administration would continue to support intelligence and security agencies operating in the state. He described the conference as an important platform for developing coordinated strategies against insecurity.
The governor cited the recent abduction of the secretary of Kibiya Local Government Area, Alhaji Hamza Musa Durba, saying the victim was rescued in an intelligence‑led operation carried out by the DSS and other security agencies. Yusuf said his government has upgraded security equipment provided to the DSS and would continue to provide logistical support for operations.
Yusuf commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his backing of national security efforts and praised DSS Director‑General Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi for promoting inter‑agency cooperation and strengthening intelligence operations.
Despite relative calm in parts of Kano, Yusuf acknowledged ongoing threats including banditry, farmer‑herder clashes, cybercrime and criminal gangs, and warned that the state’s size and interconnectedness with neighbouring states made it vulnerable.
The conference was attended by DSS directors from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, alongside heads of other security agencies operating in the North‑West.
