The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday ramped up pressure on the Federal Government to overhaul the nation’s security framework, calling on President Bola Tinubu to authorise the recruitment of 100,000 additional military personnel to tackle insurgency, banditry, and the surge in school abductions.
The lawmakers also demanded a comprehensive investigation into the Safe School Programme, questioning the utilisation of funds allocated to the initiative amid recurring attacks on educational institutions. Their concerns were heightened by last week’s assault on Government Girls School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where gunmen killed the vice principal and abducted at least 25 students.
The debate was triggered by a motion from Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), who urged a strategic expansion of the armed forces and a full security audit. “Recruiting 100,000 personnel will not only strengthen our troops but also provide employment for our youth,” he argued, while condemning what he described as the “commercialisation of national security.”
He pressed for answers on the Safe School funds and called for the deployment of advanced technology and tracking systems to combat criminal networks.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the heated session before moving the chamber into a closed-door meeting, endorsed Oshiomhole’s proposals.
He backed the call for fresh recruitment and a probe into the Safe School Programme, stressing that criminals were increasingly targeting vulnerable communities. “Crime is crime, regardless of the administration under which it occurs,” Akpabio said, offering condolences to the victims of the Maga school attack.
The Senate’s deliberations revealed growing concern over Nigeria’s defence capabilities and the urgent need for reforms to restore public confidence in the country’s security architecture.
