Security experts and stakeholders have urged the Nigerian government to adopt stronger border control measures, deepen community trust, and foster collaboration among civil society organisations (CSOs), security agencies, and local communities to curb rising cross-border crimes in the Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina axis.
The call was made at a national deliberative session in Abuja on Tuesday, organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and the Research and Action for Peace (REcAP) Project, in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), with funding from the European Union.
Francis Onyekwue, National Coordinator of the Trauma Awareness and Resilience Initiative, identified colonial border demarcations as a key factor in regional insecurity, citing porous boundaries that enable arms smuggling from the Sahel and Libya. He urged the adoption of technology-driven surveillance and climate adaptation strategies to ease resource-driven conflicts.
Dr. Abubakar Suma’ila of Usman Danfodiyo University warned that criminal networks have expanded beyond ethnic divides, increasingly targeting civilians. He called for coordinated intelligence-sharing and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Also speaking, Customs Assistant Comptroller Kumah L.J. stressed the need for security personnel to build trust with border communities to gather frontline intelligence, while WANEP Programme Manager Manji Mangrock highlighted the role of CSOs in peace education and conflict documentation.
NEMA’s Principal Relief Officer, Jennifer Alaeda, emphasised youth inclusion, mentorship, and education as vital to breaking cycles of violence and strengthening long-term peacebuilding.
