Customs Northwest Summit Urges Unified Strategy, Community Engagement to Combat Insecurity

By Temitope Adebiyi, Correspondent

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) North-West Security Summit as approved by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has been held at the Presidential Lodge, Birnin Kebbi.

The Security Summit, themed “Strengthening Inter-Agency Collaboration for Effective Border Security and Regional Stability” was as chaired by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Timi Bomodi and was graced by the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, who represented the Governor Dr. Nasir Idris Kauran Gwandu.

Also at the event were representatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, other security agencies, representatives of the Emirate of Gwandu, traditional rulers, community leaders, and other stakeholders.

In his welcome address, the Customs Area Controller, Kebbi Command, Mahmoud Matawalle Ibrahim said the event “reflects our shared commitment to strengthening partnerships, enhancing regional security, and fostering a safer and more prosperous North-West region of the country.

In a statement by the Public Relation Officer of the command, Mohammed Tajuddeen Salisu,
the Customs Area Controller expressed his sincere appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, for approving the convening of the important summit and equally, and appreciated the support of His Excellency, the Governor of Kebbi State for graciously hosting the summit.

The Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs also emphasised that the summit was organised to obtain direct feedback from communities and security stakeholders on ways to improve security and support economic development.

Ibrahim noted that the collective goal is to create a safer environment that will enable the reopening of borders for legitimate trade and commerce.

Also, the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting all security agencies in the discharge of their duties and commended their efforts in safeguarding lives and property across the state.

Stakeholders from government, security agencies, traditional institutions, business groups, and local communities leaders who spoke at the forum, reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening security, restoring economic activities, and promoting sustainable peace across Kebbi State through enhanced cooperation and collective action.

The traditional rulers and community leaders also used the opportunity to outline the security challenges confronting their communities, including unemployment, drug abuse, cross-border criminal activities, threats to informants, and the displacement of some traditional leaders from their communities due to insecurity.

Many participants stressed the need for stronger protection of informants and greater confidence in the justice process to encourage reporting of criminal activities.

Participants also recognised that security challenges cannot be addressed through kinetic operations alone. There was broad consensus on the need for non-kinetic measures, including youth empowerment, education, skills acquisition, agricultural support, and economic opportunities that reduce vulnerability to criminal recruitment and violent extremism.

Heads of security agencies at the event also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve coordination and operational effectiveness while acknowledging challenges such as communication gaps, resource constraints, and the complex nature of cross-border criminal activities. Recommendations were made for improved intelligence management, enhanced operational capacity, regular stakeholder engagements, and the establishment of stronger coordination mechanisms among agencies.

In his closing remarks, the Deputy Comptroller-General emphasised the need for proactive solutions and collective responsibility, urging stakeholders to focus on practical measures that will outpace criminal elements and strengthen community resilience. He reiterated that peace, security, and economic development are interconnected and that sustained collaboration among government, security agencies, traditional institutions, and communities remains vital to restoring stability and prosperity in Kebbi State.

The summit concluded with a commitment from all stakeholders to continue engaging, sharing information, implementing agreed recommendations, and working together towards a safer, more secure, and more prosperous Kebbi State.