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The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman for the North-West, Garba Datti, has said Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has gone beyond politics, warning that nobody is immune from becoming a victim.
Datti made the remark on Trust TV while speaking about the security challenges in the North-West and the impact of banditry and other criminal activities on residents and farmers.
He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu inherited the insecurity crisis but was taking measures to address it through the deployment of military equipment, weapons, logistics and other security resources.
According to him, the government has recorded some improvements in parts of Kaduna State, particularly along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari corridor, where movement had previously been severely restricted because of attacks.
Datti said residents could now travel along the route at night without the level of fear previously experienced, adding that farmers who had abandoned their farms for several years were also beginning to return.
“Those areas, don’t go to Binungwari and other places like Giwa, Igebi, that farmers don’t go to farm for almost eight to nine years. Now, all of them have gone back to farm this year,” he said.
The APC chieftain attributed the improvement to a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies adopted by the government, while also commending the Kaduna State Government for its role in tackling insecurity.
He, however, acknowledged that some communities, including parts of Kaduna and Sokoto states, were still experiencing attacks by bandits.
Datti said the spread of banditry across different parts of the country showed that insecurity should no longer be viewed through the lens of partisan politics.
“This has gone beyond politics. All eyes will be on that, regardless of which party you are,” he said.
He called for collective efforts from political parties, governments and citizens to tackle the crisis, stressing that insecurity affects Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliation or position.
“So this should be a collective responsibility, that everybody should have to participate. It’s not an issue of only politics, but this is a very serious issue that affects almost everybody,” Datti said.
“Nobody is immune to it. Nobody is safe. No matter whether you are government or outside government, everybody can be a victim.”
On the growing banditry crisis in Sokoto and other parts of the North-West, Datti said the situation had evolved over time and was now a national security challenge.
He also alleged that foreign interests could be financing some criminal activities in Nigeria, citing reports of armed groups and fighters moving into the country through neighbouring countries.
Datti specifically mentioned the emergence of the La Kurawa group, which he said was linked to movements from the wider Sahel region.
He maintained that the government must continue to strengthen its security response while Nigerians collectively support efforts to end the crisis.
