The House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to adopt a more aggressive and comprehensive approach to tackling Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, warning that the nation’s service chiefs should resign if they fail to restore public confidence and curb insecurity within a reasonable timeframe.
The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Rep. Ibe Osonwa, representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Presenting the motion titled “A Call for Immediate Executive Action on the Surge in Banditry, the Daily Abduction of Schoolchildren and the Perilous Security Situation in Nigerian Schools and Places of Worship,” Osonwa expressed concern over the growing wave of kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, and attacks on communities across the country.
He reminded the Federal Government of its constitutional responsibility to protect citizens, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the people remain the primary purpose of government.
The lawmaker lamented the increasing attacks on schools, noting that the abduction of students in several parts of the country has disrupted education and worsened the out-of-school children crisis. He added that many families continue to suffer the emotional and psychological impact of kidnappings.
Osonwa also condemned the targeting of schools and places of worship by criminal groups, warning that institutions traditionally regarded as safe havens have become vulnerable to attacks, abductions, and killings.
He further highlighted the economic consequences of insecurity, saying businesses have shut down, farming communities have been abandoned, and many families have been pushed deeper into poverty.
According to him, the current security response appears inadequate and largely reactive, creating the perception that criminal groups are gaining control in some parts of the country.
Following deliberations, the House strongly condemned the continued incidents of banditry, mass abductions, and attacks on schools and religious centres nationwide.
Lawmakers resolved to send an urgent appeal to President Tinubu, urging him to fulfil his constitutional obligation to protect lives and property by deploying an “aggressive, unrelenting and comprehensive” security strategy aimed at dismantling criminal networks and securing vulnerable communities.
The House also called for the unconditional release of citizens held captive by criminal groups and stated that if the administration fails to halt the worsening security situation and regain public trust within a clearly defined period, the service chiefs should honourably step down from office.
To ensure implementation of its resolutions, the House mandated its Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, and Army to intensify oversight and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.
Nigeria continues to face multiple security threats, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and communal violence, particularly in the North-West, North-Central, and North-East regions, with repeated mass abductions of students drawing national and international concern.
