The House of Representatives has summoned the Service Chiefs and the Minister of Finance to appear before it and give a detailed account of funds released to the military, amid worsening insecurity across the country.
This followed the adoption of motions on the escalating wave of banditry, kidnappings and attacks on communities, schools and places of worship nationwide, moved by Ibe Osonwa and Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi.
Lawmakers expressed concern that despite substantial resources committed to security operations over the years, bandits and kidnappers continue to operate with ease, carrying out deadly attacks and mass abductions in several parts of the country.
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Leading the debate, Osonwa lamented the rising incidents of kidnappings and attacks on schools, warning that the trend was worsening the out-of-school children crisis and exposing vulnerable communities to fear and trauma
He 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’;
“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-school children crisis and traumatising an entire generation of young Nigerians;
“Note that with profound grief and alarm, the unrelenting escalation of banditry, mass kidnappings and terror attacks across various states of the Federation has left the nation in a perpetual state of mourning and fear;
“Also note the systematic targeting of educational institutions and places of worship, which has turned schools and churches into prime targets for bandits and kidnappers;
“Aware that worshippers are now regularly attacked, abducted or killed during religious services, infringing upon citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion;
“Also aware that ordinary Nigerians are crying out daily, feeling abandoned by the state, as businesses collapse, farming communities are deserted due to terror, and families are forced into extreme poverty in efforts to raise ransom payments;
“Concerned that despite trillions of naira allocated to defence and security in consecutive budgets, the security architecture appears overwhelmed, reactive and unable to halt the sophisticated operations of criminal groups;
“Further concerned that the lack of decisive military response reflects a breakdown in the enforcement of sovereign security, leaving citizens with the impression that the government has lost control of parts of the country.”
Osonwa noted that the current security response remained largely reactive and inadequate despite significant public expenditure.
Also contributing, Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi described the security situation in the North-West as a humanitarian crisis driven by banditry, kidnappings and other violent crimes.
He cited the recent abduction of seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, and the continued captivity of two senior lecturers despite ransom payments.
Gumi also highlighted attacks across Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa states, noting that many communities had been deserted due to persistent violence.
Lawmakers questioned why insecurity had continued to escalate despite repeated assurances from security agencies and consistent government funding.
Consequently, the House resolved to invite the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and other relevant security chiefs, alongside the Minister of Finance, to brief lawmakers on funds appropriated and released for security operations and to explain their impact.
Members said the appearance would help Nigerians understand how security funds have been utilised and why desired results are yet to be achieved.
The House also called on President Bola Tinubu to deploy a more aggressive and comprehensive security strategy to dismantle bandits’ strongholds, secure vulnerable communities and ensure the release of abducted citizens.
In addition, lawmakers urged the Minister of Defence to deploy more troops and equipment to Zamfara and other affected North-West states.
The House further called for non-kinetic approaches, urging relevant ministries to implement programmes addressing socio-economic drivers of criminality.
Lawmakers warned that continued insecurity despite massive security spending raises serious concerns about accountability and effectiveness within the security architecture.
They stressed that Nigerians deserve clarity on how security funds are spent and why banditry and kidnappings continue to threaten national stability.
