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He described the initiative as a significant step towards addressing the root causes of insecurity in Zamfara State and the wider region.
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He said there was a need for a comprehensive approach that would provide credible pathways for individuals who genuinely renounced banditry and other forms of armed violence to return to lawful and productive lives.
August 26, (THEWILL) — The Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Sokoto State Governor, Col. Ahmed Usman (retd.), has described the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process as a critical pathway to ending banditry and achieving sustainable peace in the Northwest states.
Usman, while speaking with journalists in Sokoto, commended the Zamfara State government for inaugurating its 13-member State DDR, Peace and Security Committee to end banditry in the state.
He described the initiative as a significant step towards addressing the root causes of insecurity in Zamfara State and the wider region.
According to Usman, the establishment of the committee demonstrated the commitment of the Zamfara State Government to complement ongoing military and other security operations with structured peacebuilding, rehabilitation and reintegration measures.
He noted that while kinetic operations remained necessary to confront armed criminal groups, lasting peace could not be achieved through military action alone.
He said there was a need for a comprehensive approach that would provide credible pathways for individuals who genuinely renounced banditry and other forms of armed violence to return to lawful and productive lives.
“The Zamfara initiative is commendable because the fight against banditry cannot be won through military action alone.
“There must be a coordinated approach that combines effective security operations with peacebuilding, rehabilitation, justice, community engagement and reintegration where appropriate”, Usman said.
The security adviser, however, stressed that the DDR process must not become an avenue for criminals to escape justice, warning that individuals who continued to terrorise innocent communities should face the full weight of the law.
“Those who genuinely surrender their weapons, renounce violence and demonstrate commitment to peaceful coexistence should be given a structured opportunity to return to society, while those who continue to terrorise innocent communities must face the full weight of the law”, he added.
Usman particularly welcomed the participation of federal institutions, including the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Operation SAFE CORRIDOR, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He said the involvement of the institutions would provide the committee with the technical, security, legal and institutional support required to make the programme credible, transparent and effective.
He also commended the contribution of the Inter-Mediate delegation led by Ambassador Sérgio Jaramillo, former National Security Adviser to Colombia; General Alberto Mejia (retd.), former Commander of the Colombian Armed Forces; and General Félix Rodney (retd.), former British Defence and National Security Adviser to the Sultan of Oman.
Usman said the experience of countries and individuals with expertise in peacebuilding and post-conflict processes could offer valuable lessons for the North-West, particularly in developing a DDR framework that reflected the region’s peculiar security challenges and local realities.
He, however, cautioned that any reintegration programme must be community-centred, transparent and subject to thorough screening to prevent abuse and the infiltration of criminal elements into communities or legitimate institutions.
He also called for stronger collaboration among states in the North-West, noting that banditry and other forms of insecurity did not respect administrative boundaries.
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According to him, criminals operating across state borders require a coordinated regional response involving state governments, security agencies and communities.
“Banditry is a regional challenge, and therefore our response must also be coordinated at the regional level. What happens in one state can have direct consequences for neighbouring states”, he said.
Usman called for strengthened intelligence sharing, joint operations, border-area surveillance, community engagement and closer cooperation among security agencies and state governments.
He further urged authorities to support lawful livelihoods and address conditions that could leave vulnerable communities exposed to recruitment into criminal activities or push them back into cycles of violence.
The Special Adviser said the Sokoto State Government would continue to support initiatives aimed at promoting peace, security and stability across the North-West.
He stressed that the ultimate objective of all interventions should be the protection of lives and property and the restoration of normal socio-economic activities in communities affected by insecurity.
Usman congratulated Governor Dauda Lawal, the Zamfara State Government and the people of the state on the inauguration of the committee, saying the initiative would contribute meaningfully to restoring peace and promoting sustainable development in Zamfara State and the wider North-West.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
