Former Kano State Governor and vice-presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has criticised the Federal Government over what he described as a lack of the necessary political will to tackle the worsening security challenges across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kwankwaso expressed concern over recent attacks by terrorists and bandits in Zamfara, Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara and Oyo states, lamenting that Nigerians can no longer live in peace due to the persistent threat of violence.
According to him, crimes such as banditry, kidnapping for ransom, terrorism, communal clashes and armed robbery have become recurring realities in many parts of the country.
“What is most alarming is the audacity of these criminals, who now brazenly hold live sessions on social media to taunt the authorities and terrorise the public. This is totally unacceptable and not befitting of a sovereign nation like ours,” he said.
Kwankwaso, who previously served as Governor of Kano State and Minister of Defence, maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are not insurmountable, insisting that the country possesses the resources needed to confront the menace.
“What we lack today is not resources, but the requisite political will and sincerity to confront this menace head-on,” he stated.
The former defence minister argued that the current security strategy has failed, noting that despite huge budgetary allocations to the sector, insecurity continues to worsen, resulting in loss of lives, mass displacement of citizens and economic hardship.
“The situation continues to deteriorate rapidly. Innocent lives are being lost daily, families are displaced in their thousands, and our economy is suffocating under the heavy weight of fear and instability,” he said.
He called for an urgent and comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, stressing the need to improve the welfare of security personnel, strengthen intelligence gathering and expand community policing initiatives.
Kwankwaso also urged the government to address the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment and poor governance, through increased investment in education, skills acquisition and job creation for young people.
To boost socioeconomic development and enhance food security, he further advocated greater investment in quality education, modern infrastructure, accessible healthcare, reliable electricity supply and agricultural support programmes.
“We cannot continue on this dangerous path,” he warned, calling on government authorities to take decisive action to restore security and public confidence across the country.
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