Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has inaugurated the State Security Advisory Council, with a warning to politicians not to sacrifice peace and human lives for ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sule, who inaugurated the council at the Government House, Lafia, on Monday said sustainable security in the state would require more than deployment of personnel and arms.
He charged the council to move beyond conventional policing and address the economic and social roots of crime, including poverty, unemployment and injustice.
“Sustainable security requires justice, dialogue, responsible leadership, economic opportunity, community participation, and mutual trust between the citizens and the government,” the governor said.
Sule said insecurity in Nasarawa had become increasingly complex, with kidnapping, communal clashes and cross-border banditry exposing gaps in intelligence gathering and forest management.
He said the state would no longer rely solely on deployment of personnel and equipment, but would combine enforcement with prevention, intelligence and development.
The governor directed the council to work closely with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women groups to strengthen early warning systems.
“Through sustained dialogue and engagement with traditional institutions, we can strengthen early warning mechanisms to improve information flow and promote peaceful resolution of disputes before they escalate into security challenges,” he said.
Sule clarified that the new body was not created to duplicate the duties of security agencies, but to complement the Nigerian Police, Armed Forces, Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps through strategic coordination and policy advice.
He listed the council’s mandate to include advising government on daily security situation, strengthening intelligence-driven operations, examining community policing models and bridging the gap between government and grassroots communities.
Earlier, the Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State, Labaran Magaji, SAN, said the council was a demonstration of the administration’s resolve to leave no stone unturned in securing the state.
Responding on behalf of members, Chairman of the council, Maj.-Gen. Elias Abba (retd.), said the council would pursue holistic security advice that tackles poverty and unemployment as drivers of crime.
Abba, a former Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force in N’Djamena, Chad, warned that politics must not be allowed to destabilise the state.
“Political ambition must never outweigh the sanctity of human life or the stability of our communities,” he said.
He pledged that the council would ensure political activities in the state are conducted within the ambit of the law ahead of 2027.
Other members of the council are AVM B.D. Solomon (retd.), DIG Mohammed Ali Ari Doma (retd.), Brig.-Gen. Japo Abashi Ebu (retd.), Wing Cdr. Umar Ibrahim Mohammed Awe (retd.), Wing Cdr. Mukhtar Usman (retd.), CP Isa Usman Baba (retd.) and CSC Adamu Tanko Umar (retd.), while Pharmacist Iliya Sunday, Permanent Secretary, Security and Sundry Matters, will serve as Secretary.
