Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna has warned that the unchecked movement of smugglers and drug traffickers across Nigeria’s northern borders is a major driver of the escalating violence in the north-west.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Governor made the remarks in Kaduna during a security summit convened by the senate’s ad hoc committee on national security.
He said criminal networks “move across the border with astonishing ease, retreating into neighbouring territories when under threat, adding that the same routes are used to bring in illegal weapons, contributing to a spread of ammunition “
estimated in the tens of millions across the region.
Sani described drug trafficking as a key source of funding for bandit groups and said widespread drug abuse among young people has strengthened armed gangs that rely on narcotics to manipulate, embolden, or enslave them.
He stressed the need for a coordinated security plan that combines military force with community participation and long-term development.
According to him, the north-west requires a structure that matches its vast security challenges, including a north-west theatre command that would place the Nigerian Army’s 1st and 8th divisions under one command.
He said, “This will accelerate intelligence sharing, enhance coordinated operations, and dismantle cross-state criminal networks more effectively.”
The Governor urged an expansion of the multinational joint task force to cover Nigeria’s border with the Republic of Niger, noting the model has shown notable success in the Lake Chad Basin.
He said, “This expansion will disrupt arms trafficking routes, deny criminals cross-border sanctuaries, and weaken the networks that sustain their operations.”
Sani argued that military force alone cannot resolve the crisis. He called for permanent security committees in every state and local government area, bringing together traditional rulers, religious leaders, women, youth groups, civil society and security agencies.
The Governor said the committees will serve as early-warning systems, conflict-resolution platforms, and bridges of trust between citizens and the state.
He also supported the creation of state police, insisting the current centralised policing structure is overstretched.
Sani lamented that with fewer than 400,000 police officers nationwide, many rural communities are left without meaningful protection.
