Lawmakers at the senate
Senate has called on Nigerians, particularly residents of Katsina State, to remain united and vigilant in the face of worsening insecurity, warning that internal collaborators aiding criminal elements pose a serious threat to national security. Lawmakers stressed that individuals who shield or support bandits undermine peace, stability and ongoing security operations across vulnerable communities.
The call followed a Point of Order raised by Senator Muntari Dandutse (APC–Katsina) during Wednesday’s plenary. The motion, titled “Need to Review Approach in Addressing Insecurity in Katsina State: A Call for Immediate and Comprehensive Federal Intervention,” drew attention to the escalating wave of violence in the state. Moving the motion, Dandutse decried “recent horrific attacks on Nigeria Police Mobile Force officers ambushed in broad daylight at Guga, Bakori Local Government Area.”
According to him, three police officers were killed in the ambush, while two others sustained critical injuries. He further disclosed that, as of February 3, at least 35 people had been killed across the Funtua Zone in a series of coordinated attacks within two weeks. The casualties, he said, included 24 deaths in Faskari, eight in Mahuta Ward of Dandume, two in Maska Ward, Funtua, and one in Kankara Local Government Area.
Senator Dandutse warned that persistent banditry was crippling agriculture in the region, revealing that more than 50,000 farmlands were currently uncultivable. “This is jeopardising food security and the livelihoods of our people,” he said. He recalled that the Katsina State governor had led elders from Funtua Zone to meet President Bola Tinubu, during which the security challenges were formally presented. “Mr President pledged during the visit to site a military barracks in Malumfashi for the zone,” he stated.
He also noted that criminals were exploiting forest corridors linking Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina states, making rescue operations and inter-state coordination increasingly difficult. “Continued inaction risks mass displacement, collapse of rural livelihoods and long-term psychological trauma among vulnerable populations,” Dandutse warned. The Senate commended President Tinubu and security agencies for their swift interventions, while urging sustained and coordinated operations until criminal elements are completely eliminated. “We urge Mr President to fulfil his pledge to establish a new military barracks in the zone,” the resolutions read.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Titus Zam (APC–Benue) expressed solidarity with affected communities, saying, “Katsina people share the pain of killings by enemies of this country.” While noting that attacks had reduced in his region due to firm presidential directives, he urged the military to “increase the pace to outsmart these enemies.” Senator Ahmed Wadada (Nasarawa South) described security as the foundation of national stability, warning that negotiating with bandits was disastrous. “Negotiation empowers them on one side while fighting them on the other,” he argued.
Senator Garba Maidoki (APC–Kebbi) acknowledged the efforts of the military but said the army remained understaffed nationwide. “If we cannot increase troop strength, 230,000 soldiers will not end banditry,” he said, calling for increased funding. “We must resource the army adequately so this ends this year; we don’t want this problem beyond 2026,” he added. In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared, “We are of the opinion that this banditry must end. My prayer for Nigeria this year is the end of banditry and insurgency.”
Akpabio urged the adoption of sophisticated drones to effectively cover vast and difficult terrains and assured lawmakers that the National Assembly would prioritise the military in the 2026 budget. He also tasked the National Orientation Agency with intensifying public sensitisation campaigns, urging citizens to promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies. (NAN)
