Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has called on security agencies to strengthen collaboration and step up operations against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, warning that insurgency remains a persistent threat across the sub-region.
Fintiri made the call on Thursday while declaring open a two-day meeting of federal and state security administrators in Yola, where he stressed the need for a coordinated response to evolving security challenges.
Represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, the governor said insurgents had continued to adapt their methods despite setbacks suffered by their conventional fighting capabilities.
“While our gallant armed forces have significantly degraded their conventional capabilities, these insurgents continue to exploit vast rural terrains, asymmetric tactics and cross-border vulnerabilities to strike at soft targets.
“However, let me speak with political candour: we cannot afford the luxury of premature victory speeches. Furthermore, we must confront emerging threats that endanger our socio-economic fabric,” he said.
He noted that effective security required more than military operations, highlighting the importance of community engagement, social justice and inclusive governance.
Fintiri said the state’s decision to establish seven additional emirates and chiefdoms was informed by this approach.
“It was this conviction that drove our historic decision to create seven new emirates and chiefdoms across Adamawa State,” he said.
The governor also warned that insurgents were increasingly exploiting digital platforms to spread misinformation and recruit vulnerable young people.
He called on the Federal Government to upgrade Nigeria’s border security infrastructure, proposing the use of advanced surveillance systems, drones, coordinated border patrols and the speedy establishment of one-stop border posts.
According to him, the measures would help curb illegal migration across borders, arms proliferation and smuggling.
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Fintiri further urged the Federal Government to provide security agencies with increased funding, improved operational equipment and better welfare packages to support their work.
“Our frontline officers, the police, the military, the Civil Defence, the DSS and Customs, are doing heroic work under difficult conditions.
“However, their operational funding, tactical equipment and welfare packages must be significantly upgraded by the Federal Government,” he said.
He also called for stronger cooperation among security agencies, warning that rivalry between institutions could undermine efforts to tackle insecurity.
The governor said gaps between intelligence units and field operatives needed to be addressed to improve the effectiveness of security operations.
“Victory belongs to unity, not institutional ego,” he said.
Fintiri described Adamawa’s hosting of the meeting as evidence of progress in restoring peace and stability in the state, noting that holding such a gathering in the North-East would have attracted hesitation in previous years.
“For us in Adamawa State, hosting this august gathering of the nation’s top security policy strategists is not just an administrative assignment; it is a testament to our transformation.
“A few years ago, convening a gathering of this magnitude in the North-East was met with hesitation. Today, through visionary leadership, community resilience and divine grace, Adamawa stands tall as a beacon of relative peace, stability and democratic consolidation,” he said.
He urged participants to translate their discussions into practical measures, challenging them to move beyond speeches identifying security problems and develop a workable plan to address them across the sub-region.
The governor also proposed a unified digital system for tracking freight and transit movements across states and national transport routes. He said the platform would help eliminate illegal checkpoints, monitor suspicious cargo and protect trade corridors.
As part of efforts to strengthen policing, Fintiri donated 300 motorcycles and 16 security vehicles to support operations across Adamawa’s 15 chiefdoms and 21 local government areas.
Security administrators from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory attended the meeting. However, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was absent.