The Senate has voted to classify kidnapping as an act of terrorism and recommended capital punishment for convicted offenders — with no option of fines or judicial leniency—in one of its strongest responses yet to the country’s spiralling insecurity.
The resolution, reached after hours of heated exchanges on Wednesday, followed the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, where gunmen killed two worshippers and abducted 38 others on November 18. Although the victims were later freed in a joint rescue involving the army, police, DSS and local vigilantes, senators said the incident exposed a dangerous geographical drift of armed groups and the collapse of security in rural communities.
The debate was triggered by a motion from Senator Yisa Ashiru (Kwara South), who warned of escalating attacks across Kwara, Kebbi and Niger states, and the growing vulnerability of schools, worship centres and highways. Colleagues agreed, noting that persistent abductions had led to the closure of schools across entire local government areas in Kebbi, Niger and Kwara, as well as the 47 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
Senator Issa Jibrin (Kogi East) raised fears about Nigeria’s depleted security ranks, saying the combined personnel of the armed forces and paramilitary agencies failed to reach one million — far below Egypt’s estimated 1.5 million. He called for a reserve force to bolster stretched troops, alongside better equipment and intelligence.
Other lawmakers pointed to bandit encroachment on communities between Ekiti and Osun, where a retired army general and a traditional ruler were recently killed. Poor road infrastructure, they argued, was aiding escape routes. The Senate subsequently directed the Ministry of Works to begin reconstruction on the Idofian–Omu-Aran–Eruku–Egbe–Kabba corridor as a matter of urgency.
Amid rising anger over ransom-driven violence, senators agreed that kidnapping had evolved into outright terrorism and should attract the severest penalty. Several lawmakers insisted judges should have no power to commute sentences for offenders.
The chamber also urged President Bola Tinubu to overhaul coordination and intelligence within the security sector — a suggestion that sparked warnings from Senator Ali Ndume, who cautioned that the phrasing could be seen as undermining newly confirmed service chiefs. Clarifying its position, the Senate said it was calling for improved technology, communication and rapid deployment, not personnel changes.
In a rare act of self-scrutiny, the Senate dissolved its Committee on National Security and Intelligence and its Committee on Air Force, ordering other security-related committees to file oversight reports within a week and brief the chamber behind closed doors. Lawmakers also called for federal support for registered vigilantes and a review of firearms laws to allow controlled arming of vetted citizens.
The debate — at times loud and fractious — also touched on troop withdrawals before recent attacks, including the Kebbi school abductions. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe pressed for accountability, arguing the administration must take responsibility rather than blame predecessors. Senate President Godswill Akpabio raised concerns over compromised intelligence, recalling previous cases where military movements were allegedly leaked to attackers.
Tempers flared when Senator Seriake Dickson warned that Nigeria risked “losing prestige and integrity” if the chamber continued to play politics with security. APC lawmakers protested, and Akpabio muted his microphone. Later, former Edo governor Adams Oshiomhole demanded an investigation into who authorised troop withdrawal ahead of the Kebbi attack — a call the Senate adopted — and renewed the push for capital punishment for kidnappers.
Nigeria, senators agreed, is confronting a defining moment. The question now is whether these resolutions can alter the trajectory of a crisis that continues to spread, adapt and outpace the state.
