Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Muhammad Bello Matawalle, opined that the previous government did not take the issue of insecurity seriously.

Matawalle who appeared before the Senate Committee on Defence in the company of Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, disclosed that the ministry just took delivery of new attack helicopters to boost the fight against security in the country.

This is even as the Minister of Defence told the committee that there is synergy among the service chiefs in the fight against insecurity in the country.

Matawalle, while speaking before the Committee on Defence, hinted that insecurity needs collective attention from state, local and federal governments.

He said, “As a former Governor of Zamfara State, I know what I have gone through on the issue of insecurity, particularly banditry which is new to us in the North West.

“The issue of Boko Haram is not new in the North East and our system, but because of what has transpired in the previous government, the issue was not taken seriously to tackle.

“Today actions are being made and operations taken on such criminals. The issue of security needs collective cooperation from state, local governments and the Federal Government for Nigerians.

“We need key legislation on insecurity. It is gradually going down, we just received two attack helicopters to strengthen the battle against insecurity.”