Reps Decry Worsening Insecurity, Demand Urgent Action

The House of Representatives devoted its plenary session to the escalating insecurity across Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to treat the crisis as a matter of urgent national importance. Lawmakers warned that the surge in banditry and violent attacks in recent weeks must be confronted decisively to restore public trust in governance.

Opening the debate, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda stressed the need for unity and sincerity in tackling the crisis. He lamented that Nigerians now travel in fear, praying for their relatives’ safe arrival, and questioned whether parliament was fulfilling its constitutional duty to protect lives and property. Chinda identified political violence, porous borders, economic displacement, and extremist ideology as key drivers of insecurity, accusing politicians of importing people across unprotected borders for political purposes. He called for the creation of a National Border Force supported by technology and urged the National Assembly to summon service chiefs for accountability.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu emphasized legislative intervention, noting that Nigeria has strong deterrence laws but suffers from weak institutional implementation, inadequate funding, and poor transparency. He outlined a five-point strategy covering situational analysis, institutional weaknesses, legislative gaps, priority reforms, and anticipated objections. Rejecting negotiations with bandits, Kalu argued that ransom payments and amnesty deals embolden criminal groups. He called for laws to prohibit unstructured ransom negotiations, enforce transparent police funding, and establish a legal framework for military drone operations.

House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere described Nigeria as a haven for violent incidents, citing over 24,000 violent cases recorded between December 2023 and November 2024, with mortalities reaching 9,500 in 2024. He noted that banditry has evolved into organized terrorism in the North-West, Boko Haram and ISWAP remain active in the North-East, and over 1.5 million Nigerians live in IDP camps. Ihonvbere stressed that government efforts remain inadequate without stronger non-kinetic measures such as arrests, prosecutions, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

Northern caucus leader Alhassan Doguwa delivered one of the most forceful interventions, describing the situation as “horrific, tragic, devastating, and unspeakable.” He warned that communities across the country live in fear and despair, declaring Nigeria to be in a “war against humanity.” Doguwa urged parliament to consider shutting down and declaring a legislative emergency until decisive action is taken, arguing that governance is meaningless when citizens are unsafe.

South-South caucus leader Victor Nwokolo also lamented rising killings and kidnappings in Delta and neighboring states, pointing to police resource shortages and poor deployment practices. He noted that officers are often posted to areas where they do not understand the local language, making it difficult to penetrate criminal networks.

In response to Doguwa’s proposal for a shutdown, Deputy Speaker Kalu cautioned against such measures, insisting that parliament must remain open as the solution and hope of the nation.