Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has renewed the Federal Government’s promise to end insecurity in the country, declaring that the menace would soon become a thing of the past despite continuing attacks by bandits and other armed groups.
Matawalle spoke during a condolence and security assessment visit to Kano following the August 29 bandit attack on Chiroma village in Garun Mallam Local Government Area of the state.
The latest attack came amid persistent security challenges in parts of the North, putting renewed focus on the Federal Government’s efforts to contain banditry and protect vulnerable communities.
Matawalle, however, assured residents that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was adopting new operational and strategic measures to confront the challenge.
“We will continue doing everything possible to support our security services to ensure our country is safe. I assure you that soon, insecurity will be a thing of the past, and we will all live in peace and prosperity,” he said.
As part of the response, the minister said the Federal Government would deploy additional fighting vehicles, weapons and other operational equipment to Kano to strengthen security operations.
He also disclosed that Tinubu had constituted a committee to develop a five-year defence and security plan to guide the country’s long-term response to security threats.
“The President has constituted a committee to develop a five-year defence and security plan. This will guide our long-term approach to tackling security threats across the country,” Matawalle said.
The renewed assurance comes against the backdrop of Matawalle’s long involvement with the fight against banditry, first as governor of Zamfara State and now as Minister of State for Defence.
Zamfara was one of the epicentres of the banditry crisis during his tenure as governor between 2019 and 2023.
His administration initially pursued dialogue and reconciliation with bandits, with Matawalle publicly defending negotiations at the time as a strategy for restoring peace. The policy included efforts to persuade armed groups to surrender their weapons and embrace peace.
But the administration later abandoned the initiative after renewed attacks, with Matawalle saying the bandits had betrayed the peace process and that the government was no longer prepared to negotiate with them.
Since moving to the Federal Ministry of Defence in 2023, Matawalle has advocated a more forceful military response to banditry and terrorism while maintaining that the Tinubu administration is making progress against armed groups. In Kano, the minister said security forces had already recorded successes following the Chiroma attack.
According to him, Commander of 3 Brigade, Saka Jimoh, led a joint operation involving troops and personnel of the Joint Task Force at Hawan-Kwano and Kwanar Dangora camps, resulting in the rescue of kidnapped victims around Yan-Kifi Bridge and Marabar Kwari in Garun Mallam.
Matawalle commended the troops for their response and said the government would continue to strengthen the operational capacity of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
He, however, said military operations alone would not defeat insecurity, stressing the need for cooperation among the federal, state and local governments as well as credible intelligence from citizens.
“It takes the combined effort of local government, state and federal levels to tackle this issue of insecurity. We also need timely and credible information from citizens to security agencies,” he said.
The minister subsequently held a closed-door security meeting with commanders of the 3 Brigade and other security formations in Kano, directing them to sustain ongoing operations and intensify efforts to protect communities.
He assured security agencies that the Federal Government would continue to provide the resources required to protect lives and property.
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, pledged the state’s continued collaboration with the Federal Government and security agencies.
“We are confident in your leadership. At the state level, we will continue to do what needs to be done to ensure security and stability in Kano.
“We have heard the President’s commitment to security in Nigeria, and we will ensure that the menace of insecurity does not remain in our domain,” Yusuf said.
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