Nigeria lawmakers demand aggressive action from President Tinubu to curb banditry and kidnappings

The Nigerian House of Representatives adopted a motion of urgent public importance introduced by Rep. Ibe Osonwa (Arochukwu/Ohafia, Abia). The motion calls on President Bola Tinubu, as commander‑in‑chief, to launch a comprehensive, aggressive security operation aimed at flushing out bandits, terrorists and kidnappers that have plagued the North‑West, North‑Central and North‑East regions.

Lawmakers warned that if the security situation does not improve within a clearly defined period, the service chiefs should honourably resign. They highlighted the surge in mass school abductions – notably in Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara – and attacks on places of worship, noting the disruption to education, the trauma to families, and the broader economic damage as businesses close and farming communities are deserted.

The House resolved to transmit an urgent appeal to President Tinubu, demanding the deployment of an "aggressive, unrelenting and comprehensive" strategy, and mandated the Defence, National Security and Intelligence, and Army committees to monitor implementation and report back within two weeks. In parallel, the chamber scheduled a vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow state and local police forces, seen as a key part of the broader effort to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.