The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives Thursday expressed grave concern over the worsening security situation across Northern Nigeria and called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt the bloodshed.

The caucus in a statement jointly signed by the Minority Leader, Hon. Fredrick Agbedi
Leader, Minority Spokesperson, Hon. Afam Ogene asked the president to restore public confidence and reclaim communities that have been overrun by terrorists, bandits and criminal gangs.

“The scale and frequency of the attacks have become intolerable. Nigerians are being killed in their homes, on their farms, in their communities and even while observing prayers.

“Families are being separated, children are being abducted from schools and entire communities are being forced to abandon their ancestral homes.

“In Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, recent attacks have claimed more than 20 lives, with official reports putting one recent attack at at least 23 fatalities.

“In Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, armed men recently attacked several communities and abducted worshippers during Friday prayers.

“Reports from residents and officials put the number of abducted persons at more than 60, with some reports indicating that many of those taken remain unaccounted for.

“In Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, the attack on Ungushi community resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people, including the Chief Imam, Imam Aliyu. In Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, at least 30 people were killed in the attack on Naridon village. In Katsina State, reprisals by bandits continue to claim lives and deepen the atmosphere of fear and insecurity.

“In Borno State, families continue to live in anguish as children abducted from their schools remain missing months after their abduction. Nearly 100 days after children were taken from classrooms in Mussa, families were still protesting and demanding government action, while other students abducted in Lassa also remained missing.

“This is no longer a situation that can be addressed principally through statements of condemnation after every attack. Nigeria requires a sustained, coordinated and overwhelming security response.

“The Minority Caucus therefore calls on President Tinubu to apply, on a much larger scale, the decisive strategy that produced the rescue of the schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

“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. Such an operation must be intelligence-led, professionally executed and sustained until the criminal elements are neutralised and the abducted citizens rescued.
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 against those who have turned parts of the North into killing fields and centres of mass abduction”.

Continuing, the caucus advised that “The President must also lead from the front. Having visited Plateau State, President Tinubu should proceed to Zamfara State and travel all the way to Illela, engaging directly with communities that have borne the brunt of terrorism and banditry.

“Nigerians need to see their President physically present in the places where their fellow citizens are being killed and abducted. Leadership in a national emergency requires visibility, courage and direct engagement.

“The Minority Caucus further calls on the federal government to provide whatever resources are necessary to prosecute this war.

“If funding is an issue, the government should draw $5 billion from the nation’s external reserves for an extraordinary national security intervention.

“The primary purpose of government is the welfare and security of the people and no expenditure can be more fundamental than protecting the lives and livelihoods of Nigerian citizens.

“The recent increase in the salaries of members of the Armed Forces is an important step toward improving the welfare, morale and motivation of our soldiers, who are making enormous sacrifices in defence of the nation.

“We therefore urge him to immediately forward to the National Assembly the necessary amendment to the 2026 Appropriation Act and the required Supplementary Appropriation Bill to provide the legal and financial framework for the implementation of the salary increase.

“The welfare of our soldiers cannot be subjected to avoidable procedural delays when the nation is at war with terrorists and bandits.

“Finally, the Minority Caucus also demands the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, whose continued detention has increasingly assumed the character of a political persecution.

“Our concern is not merely about one individual. It is about the credibility and consistency of the federal government’s anti-corruption campaign.

“It is difficult for the government to demand public confidence in its anti-corruption campaign when the political architecture through which the President seeks the mandate of Nigerians included individuals whose records and allegations have raised serious questions about the integrity of that campaign.

“Against this background, the continued detention of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai raises legitimate questions about whether the machinery of anti-corruption enforcement is being deployed consistently and without political considerations.

“We therefore regard Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as a political prisoner and demand his immediate release. The fight against corruption must be a fight against corruption, not a fight against political opponents.

“The Minority Caucus will continue to defend the rule of law, due process and the fundamental rights of every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation.

“The nation is at a critical moment. Nigerians do not need more condolences; they need action. They do not need promises; they need security.

“President Tinubu has the constitutional authority, the military capacity and the national mandate to act. He must act now.

“The bloodshed in Northern Nigeria must stop. The abducted must be rescued. The terrorists and bandits must be defeated. And every Nigerian, regardless of where they live, must be able to sleep, farm, travel, worship and send their children to school without fear”, the caucus insisted.

Please follow and like us: