Nigeria: Insecurity - Reps Demand Urgent Action On Banditry, School Abductions, Warn Service Chiefs

The lawmakers also demanded stronger oversight of security operations and cautioned that service chiefs should consider resigning if the security situation fails to improve.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday called for immediate and decisive action by the federal government to stem the rising wave of banditry, mass kidnappings and attacks on schools and places of worship across the country.

The lawmakers also said if insecurity persists and the government is unable to restore order within a specified period, the service chiefs should resign honourably for failing to fulfil the constitutional mandate of protecting citizens.

The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Ibe Osonwa (LP, Abia), who raised concerns over what he described as the deteriorating security situation and the growing threat to school children, religious worshippers and rural communities.

Leading the debate during plenary, Mr Osonwa reminded the House that Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution places the security and welfare of citizens as the primary responsibility of government.

The lawmaker said the country was witnessing an alarming escalation in banditry, mass kidnappings and terror attacks, leaving many communities in fear and uncertainty.

"With profound grief and alarm, we note the unrelenting daily escalation of banditry, mass kidnappings and terror attacks across various states of the federation, which have left the nation in a perpetual state of mourning and fear," he said.

Mr Osonwa expressed particular concern over the growing trend of attacks on schools and places of worship, noting that institutions once regarded as safe havens for learning and spiritual reflection have increasingly become targets of kidnappers and armed groups.

According to him, religious worshippers are now frequently attacked, abducted or killed during services, undermining citizens' constitutional rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

He further argued that ordinary Nigerians increasingly feel abandoned as businesses collapse, farming communities are deserted and families are plunged into poverty while struggling to raise ransom payments for abducted relatives.

The lawmaker also questioned the effectiveness of the country's security architecture despite huge allocations to defence and security agencies in successive national budgets.

"Despite the trillions of naira allocated to the defence and security sectors in consecutive national budgets, the current security architecture appears overwhelmed, reactive and incapable of halting