The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu to withdraw $5 billion from Nigeria’s external reserves for an emergency national security intervention to address worsening insecurity across the country, particularly in the North.
The lawmakers said the increasing scale and frequency of attacks by terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups had become intolerable, urging the President to take urgent and decisive action to halt the killings, rescue abducted citizens and reclaim communities under the control of criminal elements.
The position of the caucus was contained in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Minority Leader of the House, Fredrick Agbedi, and the caucus spokesperson, Afam Victor Ogene.
The lawmakers cited recent attacks in Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina and Borno states as evidence of what they described as the deteriorating security situation.
They said Nigeria could no longer rely on routine condemnations following attacks, insisting that a sustained and coordinated security operation was required to confront the situation.
“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 caucus said.
The lawmakers said funding should not become an obstacle to a decisive response to the security crisis.
“If funding is an issue, the government should draw $5 billion from the nation’s external reserves for an extraordinary national security intervention,” they added.
The caucus urged the President to adopt an intelligence-driven approach similar to the operation that led to the rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
It said the operation should involve targeting the networks, hideouts and supply chains of kidnappers, terrorists and bandits.
The lawmakers called on the Federal Government to intensify military operations in areas affected by terrorism and banditry.
They urged 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, however, clarified that the proposed operation should be directed at the operational bases of criminal groups and should not restrict 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,” the statement said.
The lawmakers also urged President Tinubu to visit Zamfara State and engage directly with communities affected by terrorism and banditry.
They said such a visit would demonstrate leadership and provide reassurance to residents who have continued to face attacks.
Lawmakers Seek Speedy Implementation of Soldiers’ Salary Increase
The Minority Caucus also commended the recent increase in the salaries of members of the Armed Forces, describing the development as an important step towards improving the welfare and morale of troops.
However, the lawmakers called on the President to urgently forward the necessary amendment to the 2026 Appropriation Act, as well as a supplementary appropriation bill, to the National Assembly to provide the required legal and financial framework for implementing the salary increase.
The caucus said it was prepared to support the reconvening of the National Assembly, if necessary, to fast-track legislative approval.
“The welfare of our soldiers cannot be subjected to avoidable procedural delays when the nation is at war with terrorists and bandits,” the lawmakers said.
The caucus also called for the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, describing his continued detention as “political persecution.”
