US Officials Present As Nigerian Lawmakers Debate Security Crisis

It was a day of lamentations in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers expressed deep sorrows over the rising insecurity across the country.

The House dedicated the plenary session to deliberate on the state of national security with a view to identifying the causes, effects and proffering solutions which would be conveyed via resolutions to the executive at the end of the exercise on Wednesday.

The special plenary, observed by officials from the United States Embassy, Speaker of the Parliament of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Hon. Lanien Blanchette, along with members of Parliament and cabinet ministers, featured presentations from security related committees and regional caucuses leaders in the House.

In his opening address, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, declared that the events of the past week revealed a deeply troubling escalation in violence across several states.

He said the various attacks are not only coordinated but designed to destabilise the country, aiming to create the impression that violent groups can act without restraint, albeit focusing on soft and vulnerable targets.

“Their purpose is to instill fear, weaken public confidence, and give the illusion of being everywhere at once. Nigeria must reject this tactic. We must resist fear and stand firm against those who rely on cruelty and spectacle to advance their evil ideologies.

“The last few weeks have been difficult for our country. Communities have suffered severe attacks, including killings and multiple abductions targeting civilians, security personnel and other vulnerable groups. These incidents occurred in rapid succession and affected different parts of the country, underscoring the scale and coordination of the threat we face.

“The attack in Kebbi State shocked the nation. The abduction of students in Niger State caused deep distress. The kidnapping of worshippers in Kwara State brought fear to many communities. Families are grieving. Citizens are anxious. These incidents remind us of the scale of the threat we face and the seriousness of the work before us,”he said.

The speaker enjoined Nigerians to remain undaunted by the recent activities of terrorists and bandits but remain united in tackling the security challenges.

Speaker Abbas stated that the decision of the House to suspend all other matters to focus on national security was neither symbolic nor procedural but “reflects the seriousness of the moment and our duty to speak for our constituents.”

The speaker, while alluding to the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by the United States (U.S), said the government of Nigeria does not and will never support or sponsor violence against its own citizens.

Abbas declared that Nigeria’s sovereignty remains non-negotiable, yet partnership, especially when extended in good faith, can allow both countries to face shared threats with greater clarity and purpose.

“We conveyed our resolutions to the United States Congress, the Department of State and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

“It is true that in some communities, Christians have been targeted, just as Muslim communities have suffered similar attacks in others. These acts have been carried out by violent groups pursuing their own agendas. They do not reflect the policy or practice of the Nigerian state.

“Terrorism, banditry, communal clashes and extremist violence have brought suffering to Nigerians of all faiths. Our Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and every institution of government remains committed to protecting that right.”

Also speaking, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu acknowledged the security challenges affecting the country and said the solution to them requires structural legislative reform, not merely reactive military responses.

Kalu observed that the Nigerian police is constrained by centralised command, inadequate funding and lack of accountability, hence the need to move the force from exclusive to concurrent list.

He said despite strong anti-kidnapping laws like life imprisonment, death penalty for kidnapping, the practice continues because it is alleged that government entities negotiate with bandits and pay ransom.

Kalu called for legal prohibition of ransom negotiation and mandating criminal justice process over amnesty programmes.

He stressed the need for a legislation to provide criminal penalties for government officials who negotiate ransom or authorise unstructured amnesty deals.

In a presentation, the House Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere said the country faces multifaceted security threats across the country with displacement of families and communities while mortalities remain high, reaching up to 9,500 in 2024.

While noting that the global terrorism index places Nigeria as the sixth most impacted country globally by terrorism, he said the report showed that the country had over 24,000 violent incidents between December 2023 and November 2024.

The House leader said, the legislature has equally responded to the issue of insecurity, with countless motions and bills to restructure the police force, to amend the Nigeria Army Act, and so on and so forth.

The House Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda also noted that insecurity is ravaging the entire country but the government was not doing enough to arrest the situation.

Chinda said the House must immediately come up with a bill to establish the National Border Patrol Force to secure the nation’s borders to reduce the influx of criminal elements while using the opportunity of the ongoing constitutional amendment to establish community or state police.

In his remarks, leader of the northern regional caucus, Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (APC, Kano) expressed deep worry over the issue of insecurity all over the country, calling for a legislative emergency by shutting down the House.

Doguwa also said the APC-led government of President Bola Tinubu was not doing enough on addressing security challenges.

“…I want to say that yes, the government is doing its best. The security agencies are doing their best. But I want to say with every sense of responsibility and without any fear of equivocation that their best is not good enough. It is not good enough because Nigeria today, Mr Speaker, it is horrific. Mr Speaker, our security situation is tragic. Mr Speaker, the security situation, especially in the north where I come from, is devastating.

“Mr Speaker, our situation in Nigeria today in the area of security is unspeakable. It is unspeakable because our people are left ravaged in serious tension, fear and desperation, all because we are lacking and reneging in our institutional and collective responsibility as a government,”he added.

Similarly, leader of the South South caucus, Hon.Victor Nwokolo, agreed that the security architecture of the country has failed in its entirety.

“What my brother Doguwa said is happening in the north, exactly is happening in the south. There is no part of southern Nigeria that you can said is safe. Outside Lagos, every other state troubled in the south,”he said.

Nwokolo proposed funding community vigilantes directly from local government allocations and involving the private sector in key road repairs to curb highway abductions.