Former Defence Minister says bandits now “taunt authorities” on social media, calls for overhaul + jobs for youth_
*KANO* — Former Kano State Governor and ex-Minister of Defence, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has decried Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, saying the nation is “bleeding profusely” as banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and armed robbery become daily occurrences.
In a statement issued Monday, Kwankwaso said citizens in Zamfara, Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo and several other states “can no longer sleep with both eyes closed.” He described as “totally unacceptable” the growing audacity of criminals who now hold live sessions on social media to taunt security agencies and terrorize the public.
“This is not befitting of a sovereign nation like ours,” he said.
*‘We lack political will, not resources’*
Drawing on his experience as Governor of Kano and Minister of Defence, where he said security challenges were confronted and reduced through “decisive leadership and community engagement,” Kwankwaso argued that Nigeria’s problem is not funding.
“What we lack today is not resources, but the requisite political will and sincerity to confront this menace head-on,” he stated.
He noted that despite massive budgetary allocations to the security sector, the situation continues to deteriorate. “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 added.
*Calls for overhaul + socio-economic fix*
Kwankwaso said Nigeria’s security architecture requires “an urgent and comprehensive overhaul.” He listed priority actions: improving welfare and motivation of security personnel, strengthening intelligence gathering, enhancing community policing, and tackling root causes.
He urged government to prioritize quality education, modern infrastructure, accessible healthcare, reliable electricity and agricultural inputs to boost local food production and reduce import dependence.
“Most crucially, we must tackle the root causes of this crisis: poverty, mass unemployment, and poor governance through massive investment in quality education, skills acquisition, and job creation for our teeming youth,” Kwankwaso said.
The statement comes amid renewed public outrage over recent kidnappings and attacks in Oyo, Borno and other states.
