The Nigerian Senate has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately discontinue the Federal Government’s policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating former Boko Haram insurgents, insisting that the country’s worsening security situation requires stronger punitive measures against terrorists and other violent criminals.
The upper chamber also resolved to seek an audience with the President to formally present its concerns over the deteriorating security situation and advocate more decisive actions to curb terrorism, banditry and kidnapping across the country.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, on the rising attacks, abductions and killings of serving and retired military personnel.
As part of its resolutions, the Senate urged the Federal Government to ensure that terrorists, bandits and other violent offenders are arrested and prosecuted rather than rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.
Lawmakers also observed a minute’s silence in honour of the late Rabe Abubakar and other Nigerians who have lost their lives to terrorism, insurgency, banditry and kidnapping.
The Senate further resolved to constitute a delegation to visit the family of the late military officer, the Katsina State Government and the Nigerian Army to convey its condolences.
The lawmakers commended members of the armed forces and other security agencies for their sacrifices in defending the country, while calling for improved intelligence gathering, enhanced inter-agency collaboration, stronger community participation and accelerated deployment of modern security technologies, including unmanned aerial systems, geospatial intelligence and integrated command-and-control platforms.
The call to end the rehabilitation programme was introduced by Senator Joseph Ikpea, who argued that the policy had become a source of national concern.
“My additional prayer is that the issue of insecurity has become something Nigerians are deeply concerned about. One of the issues we need to look at is the rehabilitation of Boko Haram members. My additional prayer is to stop the rehabilitation of Boko Haram,” Ikpea said.
His proposal received overwhelming support from lawmakers and was seconded by Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Supporting the motion, Oshiomhole described the rehabilitation policy as illogical, arguing that it was inappropriate to reintegrate former insurgents while victims of terrorism and the families of fallen security personnel continued to suffer the consequences of violent attacks.
Earlier, while presenting the motion, Yar’Adua described Nigeria’s security challenges as increasingly complex, persistent and alarming, warning that criminal groups had become more sophisticated by deliberately targeting serving and retired military officers.
He cited the abduction and death of Major General Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, as evidence of the evolving security threats confronting the country.
“The death of Major General Rabe Abubakar and others in terrorists’ custody represents not only a personal tragedy but a painful national loss demanding urgent action,” Yar’Adua said.
According to him, retired military officers remain vulnerable because of the sensitive operational, intelligence and command responsibilities they held during service, making them attractive targets for terrorists, kidnappers and bandits.
He warned that persistent attacks on military personnel undermine troop morale, weaken public confidence in the government’s ability to protect citizens and embolden criminal groups.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Osita Izunaso described the recurring attacks on military personnel as disturbing and called for urgent reforms to strengthen the country’s defence and security architecture.
Senator Abdul Ningi also called for more rigorous legislative oversight of the nation’s security institutions, urging the National Assembly to scrutinise casualty records, operational responses and support provided to the families of fallen security personnel.
In his remarks, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau acknowledged the concerns raised by lawmakers but urged a balanced assessment of ongoing military operations.
He noted that terrorism remains a global challenge affecting many countries, particularly within the West African sub-region, and stressed the need for coordinated regional responses.
“Our men and women in uniform are doing their best. They have been successful in decimating many criminal elements and deserve our continued support,” Barau said.
