Heightening insecurity: Lawmakers challenge Tinubu on averting anarchy

The House of Representatives has summoned the service chiefs and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, over the worsening security situation in the country and growing public concerns about the safety of lives and property.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sulaiman Gumi, who expressed concern over the persistent wave of violent attacks, kidnappings, banditry and other criminal activities affecting several parts of Nigeria.

The resolution was adopted during Tuesday’s plenary, with Gumi, who represents the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, urging the National Assembly to intensify oversight of the nation’s security architecture.

According to the lawmaker, the deteriorating security situation requires urgent attention and closer scrutiny to ensure that security agencies are effectively addressing the threats confronting citizens.

“The nation deserves clear explanations on the measures being implemented to tackle insecurity and restore confidence among Nigerians,” Gumi said during the debate.

The House noted that the appearance of the service chiefs and the NSA would enable lawmakers to receive direct briefings on ongoing military operations, intelligence-sharing efforts and broader security strategies aimed at curbing violence across the country.

Lawmakers also stressed the need for greater accountability from the nation’s top security officials, noting that the continued attacks on communities have heightened public anxiety and raised questions about the effectiveness of existing security measures.

However, a date for the appearance of the security chiefs and the NSA has yet to be announced, with the House expected to communicate the schedule in the coming days.

The summons is part of the House of Representatives’ ongoing efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges and strengthen legislative oversight amid growing calls for more decisive action against criminal groups operating across the country.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has confirmed the death of a soldier and four hostages during a foiled kidnapping attempt targeting Chinese expatriates at Magbon Village in Mowe area of Ogun.

Maj. Idereghi Akari, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 35 Artillery Brigade, disclosed this in a statement in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

According to Akari, the incident occurred on Monday at Magbon Village in the Mowe area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government during a joint security operation.

He explained that security team reportedly responded to a distress call from a dredging site where expatriate workers were carrying out operations.

According to him, the joint team was ambushed by armed men suspected to be kidnappers, leading to a fierce gun battle.

“One of the suspected kidnappers was neutralised during the exchange, while others retreated through nearby forest routes toward the Ogun River.

“The attackers reportedly took five hostages as human shields while escaping from pursuing security operatives deployed as reinforcement.

“Four of the hostages were later killed by the fleeing gunmen before they escaped through a river channel using a boat.

“A surviving hostage reportedly informed security personnel that the attackers also took away the body of their dead accomplice,” he said.

Akari stated that the operation recorded casualties among security personnel, with one soldier killed during the encounter.

He said that another soldier and two police officers sustained gunshot injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.

He added that the remains of the slain soldier and recovered hostages had been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Sagamu.

The army spokesperson noted that security agencies had intensified patrols and surveillance across the area to prevent further security breaches and restore public confidence.

He reiterated the army’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property through sustained collaboration with other security agencies in the state.

Furthermore, the House has called on the Federal Government and the top echelon of the nation’s security agencies to take decisive action on the prevalence of insecurity over the menace of insecurity.

Specifically, the green chamber unequivocally declared that if the President Bola Tinubu administration proves fundamentally unable or unwilling to arrest this drift within a clear, specified timeframe, the Service Chiefs should honourably resign from office.

The House resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon Ibe Okwara Osonwa (Abia LP) on the matter on the floor of the House on Tuesday at plenary.

The lawmaker, while debating the motion, said that the fundamental constitutional obligation of the Federal Government of Nigeria as enshrined in Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which explicitly states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

He further stated that he is aware that the daily abduction of innocent schoolchildren has not only disrupted the educational fabric of the nation but has forced thousands of children out of school, compounding the country’s out-of-schoolchildren crisis and traumatizing an entire generation of young Nigerians.

According to him, with profound grief and alarm, the unrelenting, daily escalation of banditry, mass kidnappings, and terror attacks across various states of the federation have left the nation in a perpetual state of mourning and fear.

The Abia born Labour Party lawmaker also notes that the deeply disturbing and systematic targeting of educational institutions and places of worship has turned schools once sanctuaries of learning and churches, sanctuaries of spiritual solace, into prime targets for ruthless bandits and kidnappers.

He said: “Aware that religious congregants are now regularly attacked, abducted, or killed during worship services, severely infringing upon the citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion;

“Also Aware that ordinary Nigerians are crying out every day, feeling entirely abandoned by the state, as businesses collapse, farming communities are deserted due to terror, and families are forced into extreme poverty trying to raise astronomical sums for ransom.

“Concerned that despite the trillions of Naira allocated to the defense and security sectors in consecutive national budgets, the current security architecture appears overwhelmed, reactive, and incapable of halting the sophisticated operations of these bandits”.

The lawmaker regretted that the apparent lack of a decisive, definitive, and crushing military response from the security agencies a collapse in the enforcement of sovereign security, leaving citizens with the grim impression that the government has lost control of vast territories within the nation.

Consequently,the House unanimously adopted the motion with a voice vote.

The House condemned in the strongest possible terms the ongoing banditry, the horrific daily abductions of Nigerian school children, and the persistent attacks on schools and churches across Nigeria.

The House urged the education authorities to appeal to the President, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, reminding him of his sacred oath of office to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians.

The green chamber again demanded that the President immediately deploy an aggressive, unrelenting, and comprehensive security strategy to flush out bandits from their strongholds, secure all vulnerable schools and places of worship, and ensure the immediate, unconditional release of all citizens currently held in captivity.

The House mandated the House Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, and Army to aggressively oversight the execution of this resolution and report back to the House within two weeks for further legislative action.