Senate raises alarm over insecurity, floats option of halting politics in eight states

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday escalated its response to the country’s worsening security situation, urging the Federal Government to weigh drastic emergency steps — including the suspension of political activities in some of the most affected northern states.

The proposal emerged during plenary after a motion raised by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), who warned that the scale of insecurity demands urgent and unconventional solutions.

He said, “Mr President, we cannot continue to think that because we are in Abuja, therefore this thing (insecurity) does not affect us.

“One of the things that we must do, and I want us to take this issue very seriously, is either to suspend all political activities across this country or look at the frontline states of Borno, Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi and some parts of Kano.

“We need to suspend activities in these states until we are sufficiently certain that the insecurity challenges are over.

“This is because we are not dealing with this insecurity issue at all. And I am not blaming anybody. We cannot come here every time to lament.”

The Senate’s call comes amid a troubling resurgence of attacks by insurgent groups, particularly in the North-East, where military formations have come under coordinated assaults in recent weeks. The renewed violence has raised fears that earlier gains in counter-insurgency operations are being steadily eroded.

In response, the Upper Chamber adopted a separate resolution urging the Federal Government to intensify efforts toward rescuing over 400 abducted civilians — mostly women, children, and elderly persons — reportedly held by insurgents in Borno State since late March.

The resolution followed deliberations on a motion titled “Urgent need to curb attacks on military formations by Boko Haram insurgents,” sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno and supported by Senators Ali Ndume and Kaka Lawan.

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Leading the debate, Monguno warned that the growing sophistication of insurgent attacks poses a grave threat to national stability and military morale. He stressed that recent assaults on key locations, including Monguno and Benisheikh, signal a dangerous shift in the operational capacity of insurgent groups.

Ndume, in his contribution, expressed deep concern over the fate of abducted victims, revealing that insurgents had issued fresh threats regarding their captives.

He called for immediate and coordinated action by both the executive and legislative arms of government to prevent further escalation.

Similarly, Senator Diket Plang (Plateau Central) cautioned that the persistent targeting of military personnel was sending shockwaves across the country, undermining public confidence in the nation’s security architecture.

At the end of deliberations, the Senate passed a series of resolutions aimed at addressing the crisis.

Lawmakers “strongly condemned the continued attacks by Boko Haram on military formations” and observed a minute of silence in honour of fallen soldiers.

They also called on the Chief of Defence Staff and other service chiefs to “conduct a comprehensive operational and logistical audit of the affected military formations to identify and address gaps in equipment and operational strategy.”

In addition, the Armed Forces were urged to “strengthen adherence to rules of engagement and international humanitarian law” and to “thoroughly investigate allegations of harm to civilians during military operations.”

The Senate further appealed to communities in affected areas to support ongoing operations by providing “credible and timely information,” while commending troops under Operation Hadin Kai for their resilience and sacrifices.

The urgency of the Senate’s intervention has been heightened by disturbing developments on the ground, including the circulation of a video reportedly showing dozens of abducted victims in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

In the footage, insurgents issued warnings against any rescue attempt and threatened severe consequences if their demands were not met within a tight deadline.

The victims were reportedly kidnapped following an attack on a military base earlier in March, during which insurgents overran the facility, destroyed equipment, and abducted civilians.

With insecurity persisting despite years of military operations, the Senate’s proposal to suspend political activities — though controversial — reflects growing frustration within the political class over the scale of the crisis.

As lawmakers push for more decisive action, the Federal Government now faces mounting pressure to recalibrate its strategy and restore public confidence in the nation’s security framework.

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