By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The Yoruba Youths Council and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide have praised Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, for effectively reducing terrorist activities in Nigeria, particularly in the North. Both groups commended Matawalle’s impressive performance and endorsed his continuation as Defence Minister.

Comrade Eric Oluwole, President of the Yoruba Youths Council, and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, National President of Ohanaeze youths, highlighted the military’s recent successes against bandits in the Northwest, coordinated by Matawalle. They appreciated Matawalle for justifying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s confidence in him.

Key Achievements:

Indigenous Arms Production: Facilitated significant progress in indigenous arms production through the Defence Ministry and DICON.

Military Hardware Hub: Transformed Nigeria into a hub for advanced military hardware, with many African nations sourcing equipment from Nigeria.

Legislative Support: Enacted the DICON Act 2023, empowering DICON to contribute to national security and economic development.

Unity and Loyalty: Urged Northern political elites to demonstrate loyalty to President Tinubu, stressing unity’s importance in addressing insecurity.

The groups noted that banditry and criminalities have drastically reduced in the zone since September 3, following Matawalle’s request for support from the Sokoto State government and people ¹. This development is attributed to President Tinubu’s directive to security chiefs to relocate to the North West and combat banditry.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo emphasized that security should be detached from politics, praising Governor Lawal’s approach. They urged Matawalle and security chiefs to remain dedicated to their duty, as Nigerians appreciate their efforts ¹.