The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigerian Armed Forces to immediately recruit at least 100,000 additional personnel to strengthen the fight against worsening insecurity across the country.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance raised by Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North), who reported a recent attack by terrorists on communities in Kebbi South Senatorial District who invaded a girls’ secondary school, abducting 25 students and severely injuring the school’s principal.
Describing the incident as a slap on the face of our nation, Yahaya lamented that repeated attacks on schools not only endanger citizens but deter girls from seeking education.
He recalled a similar abduction in 2022 from another government school in the state, noting that it took four years to rescue the victims.
“This terrorism targeting students must stop,” he said, urging security agencies to immediately track down the perpetrators.
He also appealed to President Tinubu to leave no stone unturned in bringing the attackers to justice.
In the same vein, in response to the abductions, the Senate has also set up an ad hoc committee, including the Committee on Finance, to investigate the funding, spending and effectiveness of the Safe School Initiative.
Lawmakers who expressed outrage over the incident noted that the renewed assault on schools raises questions about whether funds allocated to securing learning environments were properly utilized.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, described the pattern of the abductions as a troubling recurrence, recalling the kidnapping of the Chibok girls on the eve of a major election in 2014.
He warned that the latest attacks come at a time when the international community is closely watching Nigeria’s security situation.
The Senate subsequently observed a minute of silence in honour of the vice principal who was killed while attempting to shield students from the terrorists.
