Di Senate don tell Federal Government make dem stop di policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating former Boko Haram members into society. Instead, dem say make government arrest and prosecute all terrorists and bandits according to law. Dis one come after a motion of urgent national importance wey Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, Chairman Senate Committee on Army, bring during plenary yesterday.
Di motion dey about increasing attacks, abductions and killings of serving and retired military personnel. Di Senate condemn di worsening insecurity for Nigeria, calling am complex, persistent and alarming. Dem say di problem dey show through terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and attacks on communities, with continuous loss of innocent lives across di country.
During debate, senators from all parties contribute, showing deep concern inside National Assembly about security crisis wey don spread beyond traditional North-East epicentre to nearly every zone of Nigeria. Dis one happen as Nigerian Army announce surrender of two senior terrorist commanders to troops of Operation Hadin Kai for Borno State. Di Army say di detained suspects don provide valuable intelligence wey go help ongoing operations against insurgents for North-East.
Di Senate observe a minute of silence to honour late Major-General Rabe Abubakar, former Director of Defence Information, and all Nigerians wey don lose their lives to terrorism, insurgency, banditry and kidnapping. Dem resolve say Senate leadership go immediately constitute a delegation to visit family of di late General, Katsina State government and Nigerian Army to convey condolences.
Moving di motion, Senator Yar’Adua say killing of General Abubakar and other retired officers na not only personal tragedy but also painful national loss wey need urgent action. E say retired officers remain attractive targets for terrorists and kidnappers because of their previous operational, intelligence and command responsibilities. E warn say persistent attacks on security personnel dey undermine troop morale and embolden criminal groups wey dey challenge authority of state.
Senator Yar’Adua list attacks on retired senior officers across Zamfara, Imo, Abuja, Katsina, Kogi and Plateau states since 2023: Colonel Rabiu Garba Yandoto (retd) and his two children wey bandits abduct for Gusau–Tsafe Road, Zamfara State, on January 1, 2023; Major General Richard Chukwudi Duru wey dem kidnap for Owerri, Imo State, on September 27, 2023, and kill am despite family paying $50,000 ransom; Brigadier-General Uwem Harold Udokwere (retd) wey intruders murder for im residence for Lokogoma, Abuja, on June 22, 2024; Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga (retd), former Director-General of NYSC, wey dem abduct for im residence for Katsina State on February 5, 2025, and regain freedom after 56 days; Retired Major Joe Ajayi wey dem abduct from im residence for Kogi State on May 21, 2025, and die for captivity; Colonel Joseph Ajanaku (retd) wey dem abduct for Plateau State for January 2026 and later rescue by security forces; and Retired Major-General Rabe Abubakar wey dem abduct alongside im wife for Katsina State on May 30, 2026, and die for captivity.
Di Senate say dis pattern dey undermine morale inside armed forces, weaken public confidence for state capacity to provide security, and embolden criminal elements wey dey see state as incapable of protecting even those wey once defend am. Di de-radicalisation and reintegration programme wey Senate target don form central plank of Federal Government non-kinetic approach to end North-East insurgency, with repentant fighters screened and resettled for host communities after rehabilitation. But lawmakers argue say di policy don come to be seen by ordinary Nigerians as rewarding violence instead of deterring am.
Di call to halt rehabilitation of former insurgents come as additional prayer by Senator Joseph Ikpea. E say di policy don become source of growing public concern wey need urgent legislative attention. “Mr. President, my additional prayer is that di issue of insecurity don become something Nigerians dey deeply concerned about. One of di issues we need to look at na di rehabilitation of Boko Haram members. My additional prayer na to stop di rehabilitation of Boko Haram,” e say. Di proposal get second from Senator Adams Oshiomhole, wey say di policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating former insurgents dey defy logic at time when victims of terrorism and families of fallen security personnel still dey grapple with consequences of insurgent attacks. “E no make even common sense to grant pardon, rehabilitate and reintegrate criminals into society,” Oshiomhole say, urging government to place greater emphasis on justice for victims, accountability for perpetrators and support for security personnel.
Beyond di rehabilitation policy, di Senate urge security and intelligence agencies to significantly strengthen intelligence gathering, intelligence sharing, surveillance operations, threat assessment mechanisms and early warning systems to prevent attacks and improve response effectiveness nationwide. Dem also call for deeper collaboration with local communities, traditional institutions and religious leaders to build community-based intelligence and trust-driven security partnerships, and urge federal government to accelerate deployment of modern security technologies, including unmanned aerial systems, geo-spatial intelligence, integrated command and control platforms and advanced communications systems, to combat terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
Di Senate commend Armed Forces, Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other agencies for their sacrifices, even as dem insist say legislative oversight of di sector must intensify. Senator Abdul Ningi call for greater legislative oversight of Nigeria security institutions, urging National Assembly to intensify oversight by reviewing casualty records, operational responses and level of support extended to families of fallen security personnel. Senator Osita Izunaso, wey second di main motion, describe di recurring attacks on serving and retired military personnel as disturbing and unacceptable, saying di catalogue of abducted and murdered officers reflects worsening national security situation wey need stronger measures against perpetrators.
Deputy President of di Senate, Jibrin Barau, wey preside over di session, say concerns raised by lawmakers dey justified but urge balanced assessment of ongoing security operations. E note say terrorism remain global challenge wey dey affect several countries, particularly inside West African sub-region, and need collective regional responses. “Our men and women for uniform dey do their best. Dem don succeed for decimating many criminal elements and deserve our continued support,” Barau say.
Meanwhile, di Nigerian Army announce surrender of two senior terrorist commanders to troops of Operation Hadin Kai for Borno State. Di statement by Acting Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Mohammed Goni, say di suspects surrender on July 5, 2026, for Geidam, northern Borno close to Yobe State border. Dem now dey military custody undergoing detailed profiling, debriefing and intelligence exploitation. Geidam don long serve as corridor through which fleeing terrorist elements pass either to surrender or relocate to other enclaves inside Lake Chad Basin.
Di statement identify di suspects as Munzirs inside terrorist leadership structure, adding say preliminary interrogation show dem occupy influential positions and possess extensive knowledge of di group operational activities, command arrangements and logistics architecture. Di Army say initial intelligence from di debriefing don provide valuable insights into terrorists operational methods, sustaining mechanisms and support networks, noting say di information go significantly enhance ongoing intelligence-led operations aimed at locating, disrupting and dismantling remaining terrorist enclaves across North-East theatre.
Describing di surrender as another blow to di insurgents, di military say di development represent another major setback for terrorist faction and further validate effectiveness of sustained offensive operations by troops of Operation Hadin Kai. Di Army say sustained land and air offensives, backed by enhanced intelligence operations, don continue to restrict terrorists movement, weaken their fighting capability and disrupt their command structures, adding say terrorist leaders and fighters dey find continued resistance untenable, compelling dem to abandon di insurgency and surrender.
Operation Hadin Kai reiterate commitment to sustaining di offensive, saying troops go continue to exploit actionable intelligence, intensify offensive operations and work in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders to eliminate terrorist threat and restore enduring peace, security and stability across North-East. Di timing of di latest surrender place fresh scrutiny on how federal government intend to handle di two commanders, coming just as di Senate call for end to rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant insurgents and demand say captured terrorists be prosecuted, rather than resettled. Military authorities don consistently maintain say surrendered fighters for leadership positions, given their detailed knowledge of terrorist networks, dey of significant intelligence value and dey processed through debriefing before any decision on their disposition. Di Army no indicate for statement whether di two commanders go eventually be prosecuted or pass through rehabilitation pipeline, saying only say di debriefing process dey ongoing.
