Sani: Military Alone Can’t Defeat Violent Extremism, Terrorism

Sani: Military Alone Can’t Defeat Violent Extremism, Terrorism
•Says poverty, governance failures must be fixed
•NCTC-ONSA, PAVE Network call for regional, inclusive approach

By: Michael Mike

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has warned that military and law enforcement strategies alone are not enough to defeat violent extremism in Nigeria’s North-West.

Speaking in Kaduna on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day summit on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, banditry and terrorism in the North-West Zone, the governor said tackling insecurity requires addressing the deeper structural causes fueling it.

Organised by the PCVE Knowledge, Innovation and Resource Hub (KIRH) and the PAVE Network, in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), the Summit is supported by NEYIF and funded by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).

Sani, who was represented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Sule Shuaibu, described violent extremism as “one of the gravest threats to human security and national development in our time.”

According to him, its manifestations—terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and extremist ideologies—have devastated communities, displaced families, disrupted education, eroded livelihoods, and weakened public trust in institutions.

“If left unchecked, it has the potential to destabilise not only our region but the broader fabric of our nation,” he warned.

While acknowledging the military’s critical role, the governor cautioned against relying on force alone.

“We must adopt a holistic and coordinated response. While necessary, a purely military or law enforcement approach is not sufficient. We must address the root causes of violent extremism—poverty, inequality, exclusion, poor governance, and lack of opportunities, particularly for our young people,” Sani said.

He emphasised that trust, inclusivity, justice, and respect for human rights must be central to any sustainable solution.

He noted that the summit, “Articulating a Regional Approach and Response to Violent Extremism in North-West Nigeria, ” was designed to diagnose problems and generate practical, context-specific, and actionable strategies.

“I hope our deliberations will lead to concrete, sustainable measures that can be implemented across the North-West,” he added.

Sani highlighted his administration’s efforts in human capital development, community-based conflict resolution, youth and women empowerment, and close collaboration with traditional and religious leaders. He reaffirmed Kaduna’s commitment to working with the federal government, other regional states, and development partners to consolidate peace and security.

He urged participants to engage constructively so that the summit’s recommendations can serve as a blueprint for collective action.

In his remarks, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), stressed that preventing violent extremism requires an inclusive, community-led, and intelligence-driven regional strategy.

Represented by Commodore Ahmed Madawaki, Laka said the summit aligned with the NCTC’s mandate of fostering “whole-of-government and whole-of-society engagement.”

He explained that through collaborations with networks such as the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE), the centre is implementing initiatives that promote social cohesion and sustainable livelihoods, thereby reducing susceptibility to extremist recruitment.

Laka further identified porous borders with the Niger Republic, weak governance structures, climate-induced resource conflicts, and cross-border infiltration by extremist groups as factors worsening insecurity in the North-West.

He called for stronger cross-border cooperation, better enforcement, and participatory governance models to counter these threats.

Also, the Chairman of the Steering Committee of PAVE, Jaiye Gaskiya, insisted that Nigeria cannot defeat violent extremism without empowering local governments and rebuilding grassroots governance systems.

He stressed that subnational governments must take ownership of security challenges within their jurisdictions.

“We want to prioritise the role of subnational governments because these are fundamental governance challenges,” he said.

According to Gaskiya, weak and dependent local governments undermine the fight against extremism.

“Without effective, functional, and autonomous local governments, we will never be able to address these challenges. Local governments are closest to the people and the most accountable if they are truly functioning,” he argued.

He therefore called for constitutional reforms to restore full autonomy to local councils as a foundation for sustainable peace and security.

Sani: Military Alone Can’t Defeat Violent Extremism, Terrorism