The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in the 2027 general elections, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said an Obi-Kwankwaso administration would not rule out dialogue with terrorists and other criminal groups as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
Kwankwaso said the proposed engagement would complement security operations and community-based intelligence aimed at ending banditry, terrorism and other violent crimes across the country.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme monitored on Monday, the NDC vice-presidential candidate said lasting peace would require engaging all relevant stakeholders, including those behind violent attacks.
According to him, an Obi-Kwankwaso government would collaborate closely with local communities while opening channels of communication with criminal elements to discourage them from violence.
“We will work with the people, even the terrorists and, of course, the criminals themselves, to see what can be done to discourage their actions. Of course, we will talk. We will talk with everybody,” he said.
Kwankwaso argued that residents of communities most affected by insurgency and banditry often possess critical intelligence about the perpetrators but are reluctant to cooperate with security agencies for fear of reprisals.
He said many community members know the identities, hideouts and activities of criminal gangs but have lost confidence in the ability of security agencies to protect informants.
“If you go to the localities where these insecurities are happening, people know almost everything. They know their locations, the names of those involved and so on,” he said.
He added, “But what is happening now is that many of the communities are even afraid to come forward and tell the security agencies what is actually happening because many of them have done that in the past and did not enjoy it.”
Kwankwaso stressed that rebuilding public trust in security institutions would be a key component of the administration’s strategy, saying citizens must be assured of adequate protection before they can freely provide intelligence capable of dismantling criminal networks.
His comments come amid sustained concerns over rising incidents of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in several parts of the country, with security remaining one of the dominant issues expected to shape the 2027 general election campaign.
FOLLOW US
FOR MORE HERE
