The Senate on Wednesday engaged in a tense debate over Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, following a motion by Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South) calling for urgent and comprehensive federal action to tackle escalating insecurity across Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States.

The motion drew attention to recent attacks, including the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi, and concerns that military withdrawals and compromised operations may have enabled the assaults.

Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, argued that although the security challenges are severe, they remain solvable but would require international support.
“We should seek assistance from overseas, urging collaboration with global partners to stem the crisis,” he said.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the current wave of insecurity as a dangerous turning point, warning that the country risks losing control unless decisive action is taken. While welcoming the rescue of abducted victims, he questioned why there was no information on terrorists neutralized during the operation.

He also cautioned lawmakers against theatrics—referencing a call by some members of the House of Representatives for a shutdown of the National Assembly—and insisted the Senate must first look inward.
“If we are calling on the President to rejig the security architecture, we must also look into our own arrangement. I am not impressed with our Committee on Security and Intelligence. We should rejig it ourselves,” he said.

Opposition lawmaker Enyinnaya Abaribe condemned attempts to blame previous administrations, insisting the current government must take responsibility for failures happening today. He raised concerns over reports that troops had withdrawn shortly before the Kebbi school attack.
He asked, “Who asked them? Nobody knows. If I were the Commander-in-Chief, I would demand answers”.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed alarm over intelligence reports suggesting that the location of a brigadier general killed in Borno had been compromised, hinting at possible internal sabotage. He also queried how bandits successfully invaded a Kebbi school despite prior security advisories and defensive training for students.

Tensions rose further when Senator Seriake Dickson warned that Nigeria was “losing prestige and integrity before our eyes,” accusing the majority caucus of managing the crisis instead of confronting it directly. His remarks triggered protests from APC lawmakers, prompting the presiding officer to cut off his microphone.

As some senators persisted in claiming that security agencies know the locations and motives of terrorist groups, Akpabio cautioned against framing the crisis along religious lines.
“This is orchestrated to damage the image of democracy. There is nothing like targeting Muslims or Christians. It is an attack on all. This country is under attack,” he said.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole defended President Bola Tinubu, saying he was doing his best under difficult conditions. He demanded that the withdrawal of troops before the Kebbi attack be formally investigated.
“Who ordered the military to withdraw? That person should be tried for terrorism. The Senate subsequently adopted this demand among its resolutions,” he said.

Oshiomhole also questioned what he called inconsistencies in the justice system, noting that a convicted terrorist named Hassan received a 20-year sentence, whereas individuals who killed a bandit in self-defense were sentenced to death.

Some lawmakers are now pushing for the death penalty to be imposed on kidnappers as part of a broader legislative response to the worsening insecurity.