ABUJA: The House of Representatives has summoned the Service Chiefs and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to explain how funds allocated for security have been spent amid worsening insecurity across the country.
Lawmakers also urged President Bola Tinubu to adopt a more aggressive strategy to flush out bandits and kidnappers from their hideouts and secure the release of Nigerians held captive by criminal groups.
The resolution followed the adoption of motions on the rising wave of banditry, kidnappings and attacks on communities, schools and places of worship, particularly in the North-West.
Leading the debate, Ibe Osonwa (LP, Abia) lamented the increasing cases of abductions and attacks on schools, warning that the situation was worsening Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis and exposing vulnerable communities to fear and trauma.
According to him, despite huge sums appropriated annually for defence and security operations, the government’s response to insecurity has remained largely reactive and inadequate.
Osonwa reminded the Federal Government of its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property under Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He expressed concern that repeated attacks on schools had disrupted education and deepened the country’s out-of-school children crisis.
“Thousands of children have been forced out of classrooms due to fear of attacks, while many families continue to grapple with the trauma of kidnappings,” he said.
The lawmaker further warned that schools and places of worship, once considered safe havens, had become easy targets for terrorists and kidnappers, creating the impression that the government was losing control of parts of the country.
Also contributing, Sulaiman Gumi (APC, Zamfara) described the situation in Zamfara and other North-West states as a humanitarian crisis fueled by banditry, kidnappings and the activities of armed groups.
He cited the recent abduction of seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, as well as the continued captivity of two lecturers of the institution despite the payment of ransom.
Following deliberations, the House resolved to invite the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and other security chiefs, alongside the Minister of Finance, to provide details of funds appropriated and released for security operations and explain the impact of the spending.
Lawmakers said the briefing would help Nigerians understand how security funds have been utilized and why the country continues to grapple with banditry, kidnappings and terrorist attacks.
The House also called on President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to urgently deploy a comprehensive security strategy to eliminate bandits and kidnappers and restore peace across the country.
It further urged the Minister of Defence to deploy more troops and operational equipment to Zamfara and other troubled North-West states to strengthen ongoing military operations.
The lawmakers condemned the persistent attacks and mass abductions in the strongest terms and called for non-kinetic approaches to tackle the root causes of insecurity.
They urged the ministries of Agriculture, Education, Environment and Humanitarian Affairs to implement programmes aimed at addressing poverty and other socio-economic conditions fueling criminality.
The committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, Army and other relevant committees were directed to oversee the implementation of the resolutions and report back within two weeks.
The lawmakers maintained that continued insecurity despite massive security spending raises serious questions about accountability and effectiveness within the nation’s security architecture, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know how public funds allocated for security have been utilized.
