The Senate on Wednesday entered into an intense deliberation over Nigeria’s rapidly deteriorating security landscape after Kwara South senator, Lola Ashiru, moved a motion urging swift and substantial federal action to curb rising attacks in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger states.
Ashiru’s motion drew attention to recent violent incidents, notably the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Kebbi, and raised alarms over alleged troop withdrawals and compromised security operations.
While contributing, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin maintained that Nigeria’s security problems can be resolved but argued they would require support beyond national borders.
“We should seek assistance from overseas, urging collaboration with global partners to stem the crisis,” he said.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the current security climate as a pivotal moment for the country, warning that Nigeria faces grave danger without urgent, decisive measures. He acknowledged the successful rescue of abducted victims but noted with concern that there was no information on neutralized terrorists.
Referencing a discussion in the House of Representatives that proposed shutting down the National Assembly over insecurity, Bamidele urged senators to avoid political showmanship. He argued the suggestion amounted to shirking legislative responsibility and insisted the Senate must also scrutinize its own oversight systems.
“If we are calling on the President to rejig the security architecture, we must also look into our own arrangement. I am not impressed with our Committee on Security and Intelligence. We should rejig it ourselves,” he said.
Opposition senator Enyinnaya Abaribe rejected attempts to blame prior governments, asserting that the current administration must own today’s failures. Citing reports that troops withdrew ahead of the Kebbi school attack, he demanded accountability.
He asked, “Who asked them? Nobody knows. If I were the Commander-in-Chief, I would demand answers”.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio referenced intelligence suggesting that the location of a brigadier general who was killed in Borno had been compromised, heightening fears of insider betrayal. He further lamented that despite earlier advisories and defensive training provided to students in Kebbi, bandits still struck without restraint.
Tensions rose when Senator Seriake Dickson cautioned that Nigeria’s global standing was eroding, accusing the majority caucus of managing rather than resolving security issues. His remarks prompted strong reactions from APC lawmakers, resulting in his microphone being cut off.
As some senators continued to insist that security operatives already know the identities and bases of bandits, Akpabio denounced efforts to cast the crisis in religious or ethnic terms.
“This is orchestrated to damage the image of democracy. There is nothing like targeting Muslims or Christians. It is an attack on all. This country is under attack,” he said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole defended President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the president is working under extremely challenging conditions. He called for a full investigation into the troop withdrawal that occurred before the Kebbi school attack.
“Who ordered the military to withdraw? That person should be tried for terrorism. The Senate subsequently adopted this demand among its resolutions,” he said.
Oshiomhole also criticized disparities in the justice system, pointing to a case where a convicted terrorist received a 20-year sentence while individuals who killed a bandit in self-defense were sentenced to death.
Several lawmakers are now advocating the death penalty for kidnapping offenses.
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