Reps Issue Fresh Ultimatum as Nigeria Faces Rising Wave of Insecurity

(House of Representatives. Photo by Nation News)

The House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to develop a comprehensive and aggressive security strategy to flush out b@ndits, terrorists, and k!dnappers from their hideouts across the country.

The lawmakers also declared that if the administration fails to curb the worsening security situation and restore public confidence within a clearly defined timeframe, the service chiefs should honourably resign from office.

The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Ibe Osonwa, representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, during plenary on Tuesday.

The motion was titled: "A Call for Immediate Executive Action on the Surge in Banditry, the Daily Abd¥ction of Schoolchildren and the Perilous Security Situation in Nigerian Schools and Places of Worship."

Osonwa expressed deep concern over the escalating wave of k!dnappings, b@nditry, terrorism, and att@cks on vulnerable communities nationwide, reminding the Federal Government of its constitutional responsibility under Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

He lamented the growing trend of att@cks on schools, warning that the abd¥ction of schoolchildren across several parts of the country had disrupted education and deepened Nigeria's out-of-school children crisis.

He noted that thousands of children had been forced out of classrooms due to fear, while families continued to grapple with the trauma of k!dnappings.

Osonwa also raised alarm over the systematic targeting of places of worship, stating that worshippers now face the risk of att@cks, abd¥ctions, and killings while observing religious activities a situation he said undermined citizens' constitutional rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

On the economic front, the lawmaker painted a grim picture, noting that businesses had shut down, farming communities had been abandoned, and families pushed deeper into poverty as a result of insecurity.

He warned that the current security response appeared largely reactive and insufficient, and that the apparent inability to decisively confront criminal groups had created the impression that the government was losing control of parts of the country.

Following deliberations, the House condemned in the strongest possible terms the continued b@nditry, mass abd¥ctions, and att@cks on schools and places of worship across Nigeria.

The lawmakers resolved to transmit an urgent appeal to President Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, reminding him of his oath to protect the lives and property of Nigerians.

The House specifically demanded the immediate deployment of an aggressive, unrelenting, and comprehensive security strategy to dismantle criminal strongholds, secure vulnerable schools and places of worship, and ensure the unconditional release of all citizens held captive by criminal groups.

The House also mandated its Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, and Army to intensify oversight of the implementation of these resolutions and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.

Nigeria continues to battle multiple security challenges, including b@nditry, terrorism, k!dnapping for ransom, and communal violence, particularly across the North-West, North-Central, and North-East zones.

Recent mass abd¥ctions of students from schools in Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, and other states have drawn widespread national and international concern, prompting repeated calls for stronger measures to protect educational institutions and vulnerable communities.