The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has called for increased collaboration and funding for the defence sector to effectively combat and eliminate banditry and other forms of criminality nationwide.
The ministry disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Daberechi Asonye, on Thursday.
The minister appealed during the presentation of the 2025 Budget Proposal for the Ministry of Defence to the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Defence at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
In his address, Matawalle noted the importance of robust collaboration with lawmakers while addressing the critical issue of funding.
He described the current budget as insufficient given the modern security challenges faced by the nation. “With the right equipment, we can significantly resolve the battle against banditry,” he stated.
He further elaborated that the Ministry of Defence is tasked with providing essential equipment to various regions, a goal that remains unfulfilled due to budget constraints.
“In 2024, we were only able to procure some armoured personnel carriers (APCs). We need more APCs to tackle insecurity swiftly,” he said.
The minister expressed his hope that the legislative bodies would consider increasing the budget allocation for Defence, enabling the provision of necessary equipment to areas experiencing fresh attacks and facilitating decisive action against banditry.
In response, the leadership of the committees assured Matawalle of their ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Defence to ensure the successful realisation of the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda on Security.