Rabiu Kwankwaso said attacks across six states show existing security operations are failing to reassure residents.

The former defence minister questioned why kidnappings and bandit attacks persist despite heavy government spending.

Kwankwaso argued that social media propaganda by armed groups reflects declining fear of state response.

He called for intelligence reform, community policing, and economic intervention rather than relying only on military deployments.

Kwankwaso Targets Federal Security Strategy

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso used a Tuesday statement to deliver one of his sharpest public criticisms yet of the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, arguing that citizens across multiple regions now live under persistent fear of attacks, kidnappings, and armed violence.

Kwankwaso, identified in the statement as vice-presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), referenced recent incidents in Zamfara, Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara, and Oyo states. He described those attacks as evidence that the country’s security challenges remain unresolved despite years of military operations and security sector funding.

The language was deliberate.

“Our citizens can no longer sleep with both eyes closed,” Kwankwaso stated, citing continuing incidents of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, and communal violence.

The former governor’s remarks come amid sustained attacks across northern and central Nigeria, where armed groups continue targeting rural communities, highways, farms, and schools. Security agencies have repeatedly announced offensives against bandit camps and insurgent enclaves, particularly in the North-West and North-East.

Kwankwaso questioned the effectiveness of current security operations by pointing directly to government expenditure. He argued that attacks and kidnappings continue despite what he described as huge spending within the security sector.

His criticism touches a politically sensitive issue.

Nigeria’s defence and internal security allocations have expanded significantly over the past decade. Annual appropriations for the Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces, police operations, and intelligence agencies have repeatedly risen during periods of escalating insecurity. But public disclosure around procurement outcomes and operational effectiveness remains limited.

Our analysis of federal budget documents from 2021 through 2025 shows combined allocations to defence and police institutions consistently exceeded ₦3 trillion annually when supplementary appropriations and security intervention funds were included. Those figures did not correspond with a clear reduction in reported abductions across affected states.

Independent verification of kidnapping figures in Nigeria remains difficult because many incidents go unreported or are resolved privately through ransom negotiations. Local community leaders and security analysts have repeatedly argued that official statistics understate the scale of the problem.

Kwankwaso also raised concern about what he described as increasing boldness among criminal groups, claiming some now use social media platforms to threaten communities and ridicule security agencies publicly.

Security researchers and open-source intelligence analysts have documented cases where armed groups circulated videos showing weapons, ransom negotiations, and captured victims. Several of those recordings spread through encrypted messaging applications before authorities responded publicly.

The former Minister of Defence argued that Nigeria’s security crisis requires structural reform rather than continued reliance on troop deployments alone.

He called for expanded community policing, improved intelligence gathering, and greater welfare support for security personnel. Those proposals mirror recommendations made in previous security reform discussions by governors, retired military officers, and the National Assembly.

But implementation has stalled repeatedly.

Nigeria’s centralised policing structure has long faced criticism from state governors and regional organisations seeking greater local control over security operations. Community policing programmes announced in recent years by the Nigeria Police Force have faced operational challenges tied to recruitment, funding, and coordination.

Kwankwaso claimed earlier security interventions succeeded when authorities combined decisive leadership with community participation. He did not cite a specific operation or timeframe.

Military operations against insurgent and bandit groups have periodically recovered territories, reopened highways, and disrupted camps. Yet those gains have often proven temporary as armed networks reorganised or shifted locations across state boundaries.

Conditions Are Increasingly Part of Security Arguments

Kwankwaso expanded his criticism beyond armed violence and argued that economic hardship contributes directly to insecurity. He cited poverty, youth unemployment, weak educational systems, and limited economic opportunities as factors fuelling recruitment into criminal activity.

Federal and state officials across party lines have increasingly linked insecurity to economic deterioration, especially in rural communities affected by inflation, displacement, and collapsing agricultural productivity.

The former governor urged greater investment in education, skills development, agriculture, healthcare, electricity supply, and infrastructure. According to him, improving living conditions would reduce the incentives driving young people toward criminal networks.

Data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics has shown persistently high unemployment and underemployment among young Nigerians in recent years, particularly in northern states facing chronic insecurity. Agricultural disruptions linked to armed attacks have also contributed to rising food prices and displacement of farming communities.

Kwankwaso’s statement places security at the centre of early political positioning ahead of the 2027 election cycle. Opposition figures increasingly frame insecurity as evidence of administrative failure, while government officials continue pointing to military offensives, rescue operations, and arrests as proof of ongoing progress.

Why is Kwankwaso’s statement politically important?

Because security remains one of Nigeria’s most persistent political vulnerabilities. Every major opposition figure is attempting to define the government’s record before formal 2027 campaigns begin.

Did Kwankwaso provide evidence for his spending claims?

Not directly. He referenced “huge government spending” without citing figures. Federal budget documents, however, show multi-trillion naira allocations to defence and policing sectors over several years.

Is community policing already operating in Nigeria?

Partly. The Nigeria Police Force launched community policing initiatives in several states, but implementation has been inconsistent and funding disputes remain unresolved.

The unresolved question now is whether criticism like Kwankwaso’s will translate into formal policy proposals before the next electoral cycle begins. Security sector appropriations for 2027 will eventually return to the National Assembly, where lawmakers will again confront the same issue still hanging over previous budgets: how trillions of naira in security allocations can coexist with expanding ransom kidnappings, repeated village attacks, and communities demanding their own armed protection networks.