FG Lacks Political Will to Tackle Insecurity — Kwankwaso.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
December 24, 2025.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has blamed Nigeria’s lingering insecurity on what he described as a lack of political will by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government, insisting that the nation’s security challenges are not beyond the capacity of its armed forces if properly supported.
Kwankwaso made the assertion on Tuesday in Kano while serving as Special Guest of Honour at the passing-out parade of 2,000 newly recruited personnel of the Kano State Neighbourhood Watch Corps, a community-based security outfit established to complement conventional security agencies in safeguarding lives and property.
- Advertisement -
Addressing the parade ground filled with newly trained watchmen, senior government officials, traditional rulers and security stakeholders, the former Kano State governor drew from his experience as a former Minister of Defence to underscore his position.
According to him, Nigerian troops have consistently demonstrated professionalism and effectiveness during international peacekeeping missions but are often constrained at home by inadequate political backing, poor funding and insufficient logistics.
“The capacity of our officers and men is proven,” Kwankwaso said. “Anywhere they are sent outside this country, they perform excellently. What we are lacking today is political will, especially from the Commander-in-Chief. The military and other security agencies must be given adequate training, recruitment, equipment, arms and ammunition if we are serious about defeating insecurity.”
He argued that insecurity, ranging from banditry and kidnapping to insurgency and communal violence, has continued to undermine national development, discourage investment and deepen poverty, particularly in the northern part of the country.
Kwankwaso further urged the Federal Government to urgently integrate trained security personnel from northern states such as Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara into broader national security operations.
He maintained that the scale of Nigeria’s security challenges requires a significant expansion of the country’s security workforce.
“Nigeria cannot continue with the current numbers and expect miracles,” he said. “We need not less than one million military personnel to effectively secure our country, not only in the North-West but across all regions. Additional armed security forces are required to support the military, the police and other agencies.”
He stressed that the constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property rests squarely on the Federal Government, warning that failure to ensure security would continue to stall socio-economic growth.
“Security is the foundation of development,” Kwankwaso added. “Without peace and stability, schools cannot function properly, businesses cannot thrive, and our youths will remain vulnerable.”
Despite his sharp criticism of the Federal Government, the NNPP leader expressed optimism that state-led initiatives such as the Kano State Neighbourhood Watch Corps would help bridge security gaps, especially in rural and border communities prone to criminal activities.
He commended the Kano State Government for investing in local security structures and called on other states to adopt similar community-based approaches while pushing the Federal Government to fulfill its primary responsibilities.
Earlier in his remarks, the Kano State Commissioner in charge of the Neighbourhood Watch Corps said the newly recruited personnel had undergone intensive training in intelligence gathering, community engagement and basic security operations, assuring residents that the corps would operate within the law and in collaboration with conventional security agencies.
The colourful parade marked another step by Kano State authorities to address grassroots security concerns amid ongoing national debates over the effectiveness of federal responses to Nigeria’s security crises.
(Democracy Newsline Newspaper, December 24TH 2025)
