Pix: Gov. Umar Namadi

By Isiaka Mustapha, CEO/Editor-In-Chief, People’s Security Monitor

When Umar Namadi took over as Jigawa State governor in May 2023, he met more than an economy on the rise and growing infrastructure. He also inherited a fragile security environment, plagued by theft, school vandalism, farmer-herder clashes and rising fears over safety in both rural and urban areas.

Unlike many northern states battling banditry and insurgency, Jigawa’s biggest challenge was the steady erosion of public confidence in government’s ability to protect schools, hospitals and water facilities.

But months after his swearing-in, Namadi rolled out a series of deliberate and innovative reforms that reshaped Jigawa’s security architecture — a move that has now placed the state among the safest in the region.

At the heart of this transformation is the state’s Safe Schools and Critical Infrastructure Protection Initiative a landmark project that engaged 9,974 youths as security personnel tasked with guarding public facilities across all local governments. Costing the state an estimated ₦3.4 billion annually, this initiative not only created jobs but tackled insecurity at its roots. These guards are not ad hoc recruits; they are trained, uniformed personnel deployed under a structured Public–Private Partnership involving three local security companies: Kare-Kallo, JIMAD, and Corporate Security. The guards protect schools, hospitals, courts, and water infrastructure assets which, in the past, were frequent targets of vandalism and theft.

The Namadi administration didn’t stop at just manpower. Recognizing the need for rapid response and intelligence coordination, the state invested ₦342 million to establish a Safe Schools Rapid Response Coordination Centre. Equipped with night-vision goggles, GPS tracking, walkie-talkies, ICT infrastructure, motorcycles, and Toyota Hilux vehicles, the center is designed to ensure swift deployment and data-driven decision-making in emergency situations. It is not merely a building, but a nerve center for security logistics, connecting all corners of the state through a digital backbone that allows for quick incident reporting and fast deployment of response teams.

This proactive security architecture has had measurable effects. In the year following its implementation, reports of school vandalism dropped sharply, according to internal government assessments and local media reports. Communities that once lived in fear of criminal trespass into public schools and hospitals now speak of a renewed sense of confidence in state protection. The initiative also helped redirect idle youth—often vulnerable to recruitment by criminal elements into productive employment. For many families, the jobs created by the scheme provided stable income and community prestige, further rooting the program in local support.

Beyond physical security, Governor Namadi took bold steps to restore institutional justice and law enforcement credibility. In 2025, he inaugurated the Justice Sector Reform Committee, led by the State Chief Judge and composed of key stakeholders including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the state’s Attorney-General. The committee was tasked with accelerating case processing, addressing pre-trial detentions, and eliminating systemic delays that often embolden criminal behavior. These reforms are already yielding results, with the Ministry of Justice reporting increased prosecution success rates and a reduction in case backlog.

Even in times of civil unrest, the administration has demonstrated calm, calculated leadership. Following tensions in several LGAs in mid-2024, the state imposed temporary curfews to contain the spread of violence. However, these curfews were not blunt instruments they were continuously evaluated, eased, or lifted based on real-time assessments of peace and public order. In Gwaram and Hadejia LGAs, for instance, the initial 24-hour lockdowns were reviewed and scaled down to nighttime curfews as normalcy returned, reflecting a responsive and adaptive security policy.

Perhaps most striking is Governor Namadi’s rejection of populist but dangerous solutions. When former military leaders publicly encouraged Nigerians to arm themselves in self-defense against criminals, Governor Namadi firmly opposed the call. He warned against the risk of descending into anarchy, instead opting for more durable solutions rooted in dialogue and prevention. His government initiated community peacebuilding efforts, particularly in conflict-prone areas where farmers and herders clashed over land and grazing rights. These engagements brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth groups to address underlying grievances and negotiate local resolutions. By privileging communication over confrontation, the administration has managed to de-escalate potential flashpoints without resorting to violence or vigilante justice.

Meanwhile, to support law enforcement mobility, the state invested over ₦413 million in acquiring additional patrol vehicles and motorcycles. These assets have expanded police visibility across both urban and rural communities and have improved response times significantly. Patrol units now cover routes previously considered insecure, while the presence of law enforcement personnel at key intersections and border areas has curtailed movement of stolen goods and restricted the activities of criminal gangs.

What makes the Namadi approach exceptional is the coherence of his security policy. Unlike many other state strategies which rely heavily on federal support or military presence, Jigawa under Namadi has built a self-sustaining system anchored on prevention, community involvement, and institutional accountability. The results are hard to ignore. Data from civil society groups and media monitoring organizations suggest a clear reduction in crime-related incidents, especially vandalism and theft in public institutions. Moreover, the confidence of citizens in government-led protection is gradually being restoreda shift evidenced by increased school attendance in rural areas and a resurgence in local economic activities.

Umar Namadi’s success in restoring and stabilizing security in Jigawa is not the product of emergency intervention, but of systematic governance. It combines the foresight of modern surveillance and rapid response technology with the cultural intelligence of community-led peacebuilding. It values structure over spontaneity, collaboration over coercion, and long-term impact over short-term applause. As other northern states search for sustainable solutions to their security crises, the Jigawa model under Governor Namadi offers a compelling case study in how visionary leadership, local empowerment, and strategic investment can collectively re-engineer public safety.