A former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has warned that the Federal Government is gradually losing control of the nation’s security situation.
Kwankwaso expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity across the country, saying recent developments pose a serious threat to national unity and stability.
The former Minister of Defence made the remarks in a post on his official X handle on Monday.
According to him, the responsibility of addressing the rising insecurity lies primarily with the Federal Government, working in collaboration with state and local governments as well as other stakeholders.
However, the former Kano State governor said the Federal Government appears overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of the security challenges.
Kwankwaso criticised the growing reliance on state-backed vigilante groups, noting that many of them operate with little or no professional training.
“Regrettably, it appears the Federal Government is overwhelmed. This is evident in its tacit endorsement to allow state governments to establish and deploy vigilante security outfits with little or no professional training,” he wrote.
He warned that such measures, though well-intentioned, have fuelled the uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons across the country.
The NNPP chieftain also raised the alarm over increasing cases of ethnic and regional profiling, describing reports of citizens being targeted, harassed, arrested and even tortured in some parts of the country as disturbing.
“Worst of all, individuals have begun taking advantage of this by setting up their own militia, as we are seeing in the actions of some political elements. Such actions further threaten the fragile peace in our country,” he said.
Kwankwaso added that the situation is being worsened by harassment, intimidation and hate speech on social media, often driven by ethnic and religious sentiments.
“These trends pose a grave threat to national unity and cohesion,” he warned.
Calling for urgent intervention, Kwankwaso urged the Federal Government to act decisively to stop the situation from deteriorating further.
“The Federal Government must act decisively and without delay to reverse these dangerous developments before they spiral further out of control,” he said.
He described the widespread circulation of arms in the country as “deeply alarming and unacceptable,” citing his experience as a former Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Committee on the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Kwankwaso also congratulated General Christopher Musa (retd.) on his appointment as Minister of Defence, expressing optimism that he has the capacity and experience to restore stability, if given adequate political support.
