Northern insecurity: Reps minority caucus demands urgent action, $5bn security fund

…demand immediate release of El-Rufai 

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives on Thursday called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate and decisive action to end the worsening bloodshed, terrorism and banditry ravaging Northern Nigeria, warning that the scale of attacks has become intolerable.

The Caucus, in a statement jointly signed by the Minority Leader, Hon. Fred Agbedi, and its Spokesman, Hon. Victor Ogene, also urged the Federal Government to commit extraordinary resources to the security crisis, including drawing $5 billion from the nation’s external reserves for an emergency national security intervention.

The lawmakers said Nigerians were being killed in their homes, farms, communities and places of worship, while children were abducted from schools and entire communities forced to flee their ancestral homes. They stressed that the situation had gone beyond the stage of routine government condemnations after attacks.

According to the Caucus, recent attacks across several northern states underscore the gravity of the crisis. In Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, more than 20 people were killed in recent attacks, while an attack in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State reportedly led to the abduction of more than 60 worshippers during Friday prayers.

The lawmakers also cited the killing of at least 40 people, including the Chief Imam, Imam Aliyu, in Ungushi community, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, as well as the death of at least 30 people in Naridon village, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

They said the security situation in Katsina State remained equally disturbing, with reprisal attacks by bandits continuing to claim lives and deepen fear among residents, while families in Borno State were still waiting for the return of children abducted from schools in Mussa and Lassa.

The Caucus said the prolonged disappearance of the Borno schoolchildren was particularly distressing, noting that nearly 100 days after children were taken from classrooms in Mussa, their families were still protesting and demanding government intervention. “Nigerians do not need more condolences; they need action. They do not need promises; they need security,” the lawmakers said.

They therefore urged President Tinubu to replicate on a larger scale the intelligence-led operation that resulted in the rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The lawmakers called for a sustained military offensive targeting the networks, forests, hideouts and criminal enclaves used by terrorists and bandits.

“We are calling on the President to lock down the affected theatres of operation, dominate the territory and sweep the forests, hideouts and criminal enclaves where terrorists and bandits operate,” the Caucus declared.

The lawmakers, however, clarified that the proposed lockdown should target the operational space of criminal elements and not innocent citizens. “We are not asking the President to lock down innocent Nigerians. We are asking the Commander-in-Chief to lock down the operational space of terrorists and bandits, deny them freedom of movement, cut off their supply lines and communications and deploy overwhelming force,” they said.

The Caucus also demanded greater presidential presence in the affected communities, urging Tinubu to proceed beyond Plateau State to Zamfara and travel to Illela to engage directly with communities bearing the brunt of terrorism and banditry. “Leadership in a national emergency requires visibility, courage and direct engagement,” the lawmakers stated.

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On funding, the Minority Caucus urged the Federal Government to deploy whatever resources were required to prosecute the war against terrorists and bandits. “If funding is an issue, the government should draw $5 billion from the nation’s external reserves for an extraordinary national security intervention,” it said, stressing that protecting citizens was the fundamental responsibility of government.

The lawmakers welcomed the recent increase in the salaries of members of the Armed Forces, describing it as an important step toward improving the welfare, morale and motivation of soldiers. However, they urged the President to immediately forward the necessary amendment to the 2026 Appropriation Act and a Supplementary Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly to provide the legal and financial framework for implementation.

The Caucus said it was prepared to join other lawmakers to reconvene immediately, if necessary, to address the matter, insisting that “the welfare of our soldiers cannot be subjected to avoidable procedural delays when the nation is at war with terrorists and bandits.”

The Minority Caucus also demanded the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, describing his continued detention as increasingly suggestive of political persecution. The lawmakers said, “We therefore regard Mallam Nasir el-Rufai as a political prisoner and demand his immediate release,” while arguing that the anti-corruption campaign must not be used as a tool against political opponents.

The lawmakers questioned the consistency of the Federal Government’s anti-corruption campaign, citing the inclusion of individuals facing corruption allegations and public controversy in the APC Presidential Campaign Council. They warned that such developments could undermine public confidence in the government’s claim to be pursuing an impartial fight against corruption.

Concluding their appeal, the Caucus said President Tinubu had the constitutional authority, military capacity and national mandate to act, declaring: “The bloodshed in Northern Nigeria must stop. The abducted must be rescued. The terrorists and bandits must be defeated.”