Security challenges are best confronted through collaboration, writes SAMINU DAUDA Security is rarely won through force alone. Across the world, successful counterterrorism strategies are built on collaboration, intelligence, institutional coordination and community participation. In Nigeria, where insecurity has evolved into a complex web of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and rural criminality, the days of isolated security operations have given way to integrated approaches involving the federal government, state governments, intelligence agencies, traditional institutions and local communities. Perhaps nowhere is this new security architecture more visible than in Kaduna State. The recent commendation by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, of the partnership between the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Kaduna State Government offers an important insight into why Kaduna has recorded measurable improvements in security over the last two years. It also underscores Ribadu’s leadership philosophy: security challenges are best confronted through coordinated action rather than institutional competition. Represented by the Director of Internal Security at ONSA, Malam Sani Sani, the NSA declared during the graduation ceremony of Kaduna’s pioneer batch of Armed Forest Guards that the collaboration between the federal government and Governor Uba Sani’s administration was producing tangible results in tackling insecurity. It is a recognition that one of Nigeria’s most difficult theatres of insecurity is gradually reclaiming stability through a partnership anchored on intelligence, strategic planning and operational synergy. Since assuming office as National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu has consistently demonstrated that national security cannot be managed from Abuja alone. Every state faces unique security challenges. The forests of Kaduna differ from the creeks of the Niger Delta. The border communities of Sokoto present different operational realities from those of Borno or Plateau. Consequently, effective security management requires strong collaboration between federal institutions and state governments. Rather than centralising every initiative, Ribadu’s office has increasingly encouraged states to become active stakeholders in building resilient local security structures. The Armed Forest Guard initiative represents one of the clearest examples of this philosophy. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of the Armed Forest Guard initiative in May 2025 marked a significant shift in Nigeria’s internal security strategy. Recognising that forests had increasingly become operational bases for terrorists, kidnappers and bandits, the federal government introduced a programme designed to reclaim these ungoverned spaces. The responsibility for providing strategic leadership and coordinating training nationwide was assigned to the Office of the National Security Adviser. That responsibility has been discharged with remarkable coordination. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, ONSA has worked closely with individual states to implement the programme according to local realities. Kaduna has emerged as one of the leading beneficiaries of this collaborative model. Perhaps the strongest endorsement of Uba Sani’s security efforts came from the NSA’s revelation that, following nationwide evaluation, Kaduna currently operates the best Forest Guard training programme in Nigeria. Such recognition is not casually bestowed. It reflects rigorous assessment of training standards, operational readiness, discipline and overall programme quality. According to the NSA, the over 1,000 Forest Guards underwent comprehensive instruction covering weapons handling, physical fitness, combat readiness, civil-military cooperation, community relations, observance of the rule of law and coordination with conventional security agencies. They are structured community-based first responders trained to operate within clearly defined legal and operational frameworks. The emphasis on the rule of law is particularly significant. Modern security operations require professionalism as much as firepower. Community confidence depends upon disciplined conduct. The Kaduna model appreciates this balance. One distinguishing characteristic of Ribadu’s tenure as NSA has been the increasing emphasis on intelligence-led security operations. The Forest Guard initiative complements this philosophy. Being indigenous to their respective communities, Forest Guards possess local knowledge that conventional security agencies may not immediately have. They understand local terrain. They recognise unusual movements. They identify unfamiliar faces. They detect early warning signs before security threats escalate. By positioning trained community personnel as t
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