ISN Declares National Emergency Over Banditry, Demands Whole-of-Society Response

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

The Institute of Security, Nigeria (ISN), has declared a national emergency over the worsening wave of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country, following the reported imposition of a ₦50 million levy and 100 livestock on residents and traders in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.

The institute described the reported seven-day ultimatum issued by non-state actors to meet the demands as an “act of war” against the Nigerian state, warning that such actions were creating a parallel criminal economy capable of undermining national security, economic stability and social cohesion.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Deputy President and Chief Executive Officer, Barrister Adebayo Akinade, the ISN said the situation had gone beyond conventional criminality and required an urgent, coordinated response involving government, security agencies, communities and civil society organisations.

The institute said the continued attacks on lives, farms, markets and livelihoods directly challenged the constitutional responsibility of government to protect citizens, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which places the security and welfare of the people among the primary purposes of government.

The ISN warned that relying solely on military or other kinetic operations would not be sufficient to defeat the increasingly organised criminal networks.

«“Kinetic operations alone cannot defeat this threat. A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is urgently required,” the institute said.»

It urged the federal and state governments to classify banditry levies and invasions of markets as terrorism and economic sabotage, while establishing a state-led security coordination framework linking federal security agencies, state security outfits and vetted community guards.

The institute also called for increased funding for tactical mobility, drones, night-vision equipment and attack helicopters in frontline states, including Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau.

It further proposed the establishment of a Special Victims Support and Livelihood Restoration Fund to assist communities affected by attacks and restore economic activities disrupted by insecurity.

For security agencies, the ISN recommended a shift towards predictive and intelligence-led operations, including the infiltration of criminal networks operating around markets and livestock-rustling value chains.

It also called for the dismantling of criminal logistics and levy networks, the reintroduction of regulated livestock markets and the adoption of a two-hour rapid-response protocol supported by visible air patrols.

The institute recommended specialised training in terrorism studies, intelligence management and counter-banditry operations for security personnel, saying professional capacity was essential to confronting the evolving security threat.

At the community level, the ISN urged citizens, traditional institutions, farmers, market unions, faith groups and civil society organisations to establish stronger early-warning and early-response mechanisms.

It also advised communities to document attacks, preserve evidence, support victims psychologically and report security threats through designated security channels, while cautioning against the payment of ransoms and criminal levies.

The institute proposed broader institutional reforms, including the establishment of a National Security Fusion Centre with state-level desks, special courts for terrorism, banditry and kidnapping cases, and the deployment of technologies such as geo-fencing, livestock tracking and a citizen-reporting application.

The ISN also called for the full implementation of its governing legislation to strengthen the licensing and regulation of security practitioners in Nigeria.

The institute said it was ready to support government, security agencies and communities through research, professional training, policy advisory services and certification aimed at improving national security, restoring public confidence and supporting development.

The statement was signed by Barr. Adebayo Akinade, DFISN, FSCS, PSC, Deputy President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Security, Nigeria.