Reps Summon Security Chiefs, Ribadu Over Worsening Insecurity

The House of Representatives has summoned Nigeria’s service chiefs and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to appear before lawmakers over the worsening security situation across the country, particularly in the North-West.

The decision was reached on Tuesday after the House adopted a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Sulaiman Gumi, who represents Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State.

Lawmakers expressed concern over a fresh wave of killings, kidnappings and attacks across Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa states, describing the trend as evidence that insecurity remains a major threat despite ongoing military operations.

Presenting the motion, Gumi said banditry, mass abductions and the growing activities of armed groups had pushed parts of the North-West into a humanitarian crisis.

He told the House that between June 1 and June 6, armed men carried out coordinated attacks on several communities in Zamfara and neighbouring states, leaving scores of residents dead, abducting travellers and forcing many families to flee their homes.

The lawmaker drew attention to the abduction of seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, from an off-campus hostel during an attack that lasted through the night of June 2 into the early hours of June 3.

He also revealed that two senior lecturers of the institution have remained in captivity for more than two months despite efforts by relatives and associates to secure their release.

Gumi further recounted a deadly attack in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State where four people were killed and several travellers kidnapped.

According to him, a councillor and a local government director travelling in connection with arrangements for intending pilgrims were abducted in Talata Mafara Local Government Area and later killed by their captors.

He warned that the security challenge had spread beyond Zamfara and was now affecting communities across the North-West region.

The lawmaker cited reports of an attack on Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State on May 31, where at least 17 villagers were reportedly killed by hundreds of armed bandits who invaded the area on motorcycles.

He added that repeated attacks had forced residents to abandon more than 15 communities in Tureta and Sabon Birni local government areas.

Gumi also referenced the abduction of retired Major General Rabe Batsari, a former Director of Defence Information, and his wife along the Marabar Musawa-Kafinsoli road in Katsina State.

He noted that several elderly residents had also been kidnapped in separate incidents and remain in captivity.

The Zamfara lawmaker said communities in Kachia, Sanga and Birnin Gwari local government areas of Kaduna State continue to suffer recurring attacks, while border communities in Kano State have recorded cases of killings, cattle rustling and abductions.

“The continuous and unchallenged movement of bandits between towns, states and their hideouts severely undermines the credibility of the nation’s security architecture,” he said.

The motion triggered a robust debate, with lawmakers across party lines voicing frustration over the persistence of attacks and demanding greater accountability from security agencies.

A member representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Abdussamad Dasuki, criticised what he described as repeated legislative resolutions that have yielded little improvement.

“We keep mandating committees and mandating ourselves. We should have the Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, the NSA, service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police here tomorrow in a closed-door session to explain this insecurity to us,” he said.

Dasuki also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve the recruitment of forest guards nationwide to secure vast ungoverned spaces often used as hideouts by criminal groups.

The proposal received widespread support and was adopted by the House.

Also contributing, Stanley Olajide advocated greater investment in technology-driven security measures, including surveillance systems, intelligence gathering and satellite monitoring.

Similarly, Olumide Osoba called on state governments to deploy modern surveillance infrastructure, including CCTV networks tailored to local security needs.

Several lawmakers renewed calls for the creation of state police, arguing that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to local threats.

At the end of the debate, the House urged the Minister of Defence to deploy additional personnel and equipment to Zamfara and other troubled North-West states to reinforce ongoing operations.

Lawmakers also called on the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Education and Humanitarian Affairs, alongside relevant development agencies, to pursue non-military solutions aimed at addressing the root causes of insecurity.

According to the House, military action alone cannot resolve the crisis without complementary economic, educational and humanitarian interventions in affected communities.

The House further directed its relevant committees to monitor compliance with the resolutions and report back within two weeks.

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen subsequently referred the motion to the Committees on Defence, Army and National Intelligence for further legislative action.

The latest intervention comes amid growing concerns over persistent attacks on communities, schools and travellers across parts of northern Nigeria, with security experts warning that continued banditry and the activities of extremist groups pose serious threats to national stability.