The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of lacking the political will to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
Kwankwaso spoke on Tuesday in Kano while unveiling 2,000 operatives of the Kano State Neighbourhood Security Network.
He urged President Tinubu to “rise to the occasion and truly act as the Commander-in-Chief” in addressing banditry and other security challenges.
According to him, Nigeria’s military “remains one of the most gallant in the world,” having served in international peacekeeping missions in Darfur, Liberia, and other conflict zones.
However, he said the armed forces are not being adequately supported to perform optimally.
“Today, many innocent Nigerians are being killed, while the perpetrators walk freely as if nothing happened. The government must apologise to Nigerians for its laxity in the fight against insecurity,” he said.
Kwankwaso, who once served as Minister of Defence, added: “When I was Defence Minister, I knew the capability of the Nigerian military. They are courageous and professional but need clear direction, support, and political will to do the needful.”
He stressed that Nigeria’s armed forces had historically ranked among the best globally and urged the government to equip them properly to change the current security situation.
Kwankwaso also said that if elected president in 2027, he would recruit over one million additional military personnel to strengthen national security.
“Any government that fails to protect the lives and property of its citizens has failed woefully and has no business remaining in office,” he declared.
He further called on the Federal Government to integrate community-based security initiatives, like the Kano Neighbourhood Security Network, into the national security system to boost morale and improve intelligence-driven operations against criminals.
