The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) North-West Security Summit as approved by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR PHD was held at the Presidential Lodge, Birnin Kebbi, on 18th June, 2026. The event was chaired by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Timi Bomodi and was graced by the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, representing the Governor Dr. Nasir Idris Kauran Gwandu. Also in attendance 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.
The Customs Area Controller, Kebbi Command Comptroller Mahmoud Matawalle Ibrahim welcomed all distinguished guests to the Nigeria Customs Service North-West Security Summit, themed “Strengthening Inter-Agency Collaboration for Effective Border Security and Regional Stability.” He further expressed his sincere appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, for approving the convening of this important summit and equally, he was grateful to His Excellency, the Governor of Kebbi State for graciously hosting this summit. And finanlly, thanks to those present, it reflects the shared commitment to strengthening partnerships, enhancing regional security, and fostering a safer and more prosperous North-West region.
While giving his remarks, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs emphasized that the summit was organized to obtain direct feedback from communities and security stakeholders on ways to improve security and support economic development. He noted that the collective goal is to create a safer environment that will enable the reopening of borders for legitimate trade and commerce when conditions permit.
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.
Traditional rulers and community leaders 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 further recognized 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.
Security agencies 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 emphasized the need for proactive solutions and collective responsibility, urging stakeholders to focus on practical measures that will outpace criminal elements and strengthen community resilience.
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.
