Senate Urges Tinubu to Mobilize 100,000 More Troops Against Insecurity

In a strong reaction to the escalating violence across the country, particularly the recent horrific abduction in Kebbi State, the Nigerian Senate has unanimously passed a resolution calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately authorize the Nigerian Armed Forces to recruit a minimum of 100,000 additional personnel. This massive mobilization, the lawmakers argued, is crucial to significantly bolster the fight against the escalating insecurity that continues to threaten the nation’s peace and stability.

The resolution was prompted by a motion of urgent national importance brought forward by Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North), who used the floor of the Senate to detail the recent, brutal terrorist attack in the Kebbi South Senatorial District. The attack saw assailants invade a girls’ secondary school, where they abducted 25 students, brutally killed the school’s vice principal, Malami Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and severely injured several others before escaping with the schoolgirls.

Senator Yahaya powerfully described the incident as a “slap on the face of our nation,” lamenting that the persistent, repeated attacks targeting schools not only place the lives of citizens in extreme danger but also serve as a profound deterrent, actively discouraging girls from pursuing education, thereby undermining the nation’s development goals. The Senator drew a chilling parallel to a similar abduction in 2022 at another government school in the state, grimly recalling that it took a grueling four years to secure the release of those earlier victims. His plea was direct and urgent: “This terrorism targeting students must stop,” he demanded, urging security agencies to track down and neutralize the perpetrators without any delay and calling on President Tinubu to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the attackers are brought to justice.

The incident sparked widespread outrage among the lawmakers. The Senate, visibly concerned and frustrated, announced the immediate establishment of an ad hoc committee. This committee, which will include key members of the Committee on Finance, has been tasked with launching a comprehensive investigation into the funding, spending, and overall effectiveness of the Safe Schools Initiative. The lawmakers expressed deep suspicion and concern, openly questioning whether the significant funds allocated over the years for securing learning environments across the country have been properly and efficiently utilized, or if they have been diverted or mismanaged.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio contributed to the debate, describing the latest abductions as a “troubling recurrence”. He invoked the tragic and infamous 2014 Chibok girls’ kidnapping, which occurred on the eve of a major election, noting the painful history of such security failures. Akpabio issued a grave warning that the recent wave of attacks occurs at a moment when the international community is closely and critically monitoring Nigeria’s security situation, implying that the nation’s reputation and foreign relations are at risk due to the domestic instability.

The Senate concluded the session on a solemn note, observing a minute of silence in profound honour of the slain vice principal, Malami Hassan Yakubu Makuku, who tragically lost his life while valiantly attempting to shield the students from the terrorists. The legislative body’s demand for a massive increase in troop recruitment and the immediate probe into the Safe Schools Initiative signal a renewed, urgent legislative attempt to force the executive arm of government to address the escalating security crisis with a radical and decisive response.