The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Finance and Administration and Supervising the North-West, Suleiman Mohammad Abdul, has called on residents of Sokoto State to play a more active role in addressing insecurity through stronger community vigilance, intelligence gathering and collaboration with security agencies. Speaking during an interactive stakeholders’ meeting at the Sokoto State Police Command Headquarters, Abdul said lasting peace cannot be achieved without effective Sokoto Security Collaboration between citizens and law enforcement institutions.
Addressing community leaders, religious leaders, civil society organisations, youth groups and members of the Police Community Relations Committee, the DIG stressed that security is not solely the responsibility of the police and other security agencies. According to him, while security personnel continue to confront bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups across the North-West, communities must also remain vigilant and provide timely intelligence.
“We are here because security is not the responsibility of the police alone. It is a shared responsibility. While our officers confront criminals on the frontlines, lasting peace can only be achieved through united, vigilant and resilient communities,” Abdul said. He described Sokoto as the historic seat of the Caliphate and a symbol of peace, justice and communal harmony, noting that the state occupies a strategic position in ongoing efforts to restore stability across Northern Nigeria.
The DIG warned that Sokoto’s extensive international border with neighbouring countries and its vast rural terrain present significant security challenges. According to him, these challenges include:cross-border criminal activities, illegal arms trafficking, infiltration by criminal elements, activities of informants assisting bandits and kidnappers, movement of armed groups across difficult terrains
He explained that the Nigeria Police Force is currently restructuring its engagement with communities around three major priorities:rebuilding public trust in law enforcement, strengthening community-based intelligence gathering, dismantling criminal networks through citizen participation
The DIG noted that successful Sokoto Security Collaboration would make it increasingly difficult for criminal groups to operate freely within communities.
Abdul urged traditional rulers to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities within their domains, describing them as the closest authorities to local communities. He also called on religious leaders to continue promoting peace and discourage young people from joining criminal groups or acting as informants for bandits.
Addressing youths directly, the DIG encouraged them to reject criminality and instead participate in neighbourhood watch initiatives, community policing programmes and other productive ventures. He further challenged civil society organisations and PCRC members to strengthen public engagement and help improve trust between citizens and security agencies.
“Let us build a Sokoto where farmers can cultivate their lands without fear, where criminals find no sanctuary, where informants have no hiding place and where the police and the people stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of peace and development,” he stated.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, described the DIG’s visit as an important boost to operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency within the command.
Shaffa noted that Sokoto’s location along the Niger Republic border makes it both an important economic corridor and a security-sensitive area requiring constant vigilance. Reviewing achievements since assuming office in March, the commissioner disclosed that police operations led to significant recoveries and arrests.
According to him, officers recovered: Seven AK-47 rifles, Four locally fabricated rifles, Three locally made pistols, Twelve Dane guns, 153 rounds of ammunition, Fifteen magazines
The command also recovered 310 rustled animals, rescued 32 kidnapped victims, neutralised four bandits and arrested three suspected informants linked to criminal activities.
Despite the successes, Shaffa identified manpower shortages, inadequate operational equipment, logistical constraints and emerging cybercrime threats as major challenges facing the command. He thanked the Sokoto State Government, traditional institutions, religious leaders and community stakeholders for their support through intelligence sharing, financial assistance and the provision of patrol vehicles.
The event concluded with an interactive session where participants exchanged ideas with senior police officers on strengthening Sokoto Security Collaboration, improving intelligence gathering and enhancing public confidence in security institutions across the state. The discussions reinforced the growing consensus that defeating banditry and other forms of criminality will require sustained cooperation between security agencies and the communities they serve.
