By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
In a sweeping set of security resolutions described as the toughest in recent years, the Senate on Wednesday classified kidnapping as an act of terrorism and approved the death penalty for offenders, without the option of a fine or judicial discretion.
The decisions followed an intense debate triggered by the November 18 attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku, in Kwara State, where two worshippers were killed and 38 abducted.
Although the victims were later rescued by a combined team of security agencies and local vigilantes, lawmakers said the incident confirmed the southward migration of insurgent operations and the worsening collapse of rural security.
The session was anchored on a motion sponsored by Senator Oyelola Ashiru (Kwara South), titled: “Urgent Need to Address Escalating Insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States and Strengthen National Security Frameworks.”
*Orders probe of troop withdrawal, Gen. Uba’s murder
Legislators expressed outrage over reports that troops stationed in a Kebbi school were withdrawn minutes before bandits struck.
They ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, as well as the killing of Brigadier-General Uba, who was ambushed after his security warnings were allegedly leaked.
The Senate warned that internal collaborators and compromised intelligence pipelines were accelerating the spread of banditry across the Kwara–Kogi axis, Kebbi–Zamfara route, and the Shiroro–Rafi–Munya belt in Niger State.
*Lawmakers seek urgent overhaul of security architecture
In one of the day’s most dramatic decisions, the Senate dissolved its Committee on National Security and Intelligence, as well as the Committee on Air Force, with immediate effect.
All other security-related committees were directed to submit written reports of their oversight activities and brief the chamber in a closed session within one week.
Senators further demanded the establishment of a Joint Task Force (JTF) along the Kwara–Kogi corridor, with designated operating bases in Eruku, Babanla, Oke-Ero, and Isanlu.
They also called for intensified aerial patrols, forest raids, and inter-state operations.
Concerned by the brutality, ransom economy, and widening reach of kidnappers, lawmakers unanimously agreed that kidnapping had evolved into an act of terrorism and must attract capital punishment.
“No judge should have the power to reduce the sentence for convicted kidnappers,” several senators insisted.
The chamber also demanded a review of Nigeria’s firearms law to allow controlled arming of vetted citizens and support for registered vigilante groups as frontline responders in rural communities.
The Senate raised alarm over mass school shutdowns across Kebbi, Niger, and five LGAs in Kwara State, as well as in all 47 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
Lawmakers noted that poor road conditions, especially along the Idofian–Omu-Aran–Eruku–Egbe–
Senator Issa Jibrin (Kogi East) lamented the country’s security workforce deficit, comparing Nigeria’s sub-1 million combined personnel strength to Egypt’s over 1.5 million, despite similar population sizes.
He called for the activation of a military reserve force and the rapid modernisation of equipment.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for cancelling foreign engagements to coordinate the rescue of abducted students in Niger and Kwara States, the senators urged him to “further rejig the nation’s security architecture.”
Senator Ali Ndume warned that the call should not be misconstrued as dissatisfaction with recently confirmed service chiefs, and the chamber clarified that it sought enhanced coordination, intelligence, technology, and rapid-response systems.
The Senate also approved diplomatic engagements with the US, UK, France, Canada, and other allied nations for intelligence-sharing, counterterrorism training, and acquisition of drone surveillance systems.
The chamber mandated the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and NEMA to provide relief materials to affected families and communities where schools remain shut.
Lawmakers also demanded the exposure of actors behind ransom negotiations, stressing that terrorism financing must be confronted at its roots.
A minute’s silence was observed in honour of the victims of recent attacks.
The Senate warned that Nigeria’s security situation is deteriorating “at a dangerous pace,” with risks of mass displacement, economic collapse in rural areas, psychological trauma, and deepened instability if decisive action is not taken.
It pledged strict monitoring of compliance with all resolutions, insisting that insecurity now constitutes the gravest threat to the country’s unity and future.
