Reps urge Tinubu to flush out bandits, kidnappers
By Teddy Nwanunobi
The Federal Government has admitted that inflation and insecurity remain major challenges facing Nigerians.
This was even as the House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately deploy a comprehensive and aggressive security strategy to flush out bandits and kidnappers from their hideouts and restore safety across the country amid worsening insecurity.
Speaking at a press conference to mark the 2026 Democracy Day celebration in Abuja, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said the government was aware of the hardship caused by its policies but argued that recent economic indicators suggested improvements in key sectors.
“The government, though with all hands on deck, would never claim that every challenge has been solved. While we pursue various reforms diligently, with purpose and with compassion, the government recognises that inflation has been painful, though it is on a downward trend. Government is similarly conscious of the fact that insecurity still threatens lives and livelihoods,” Akume stated.
The briefing, attended by members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), formed part of activities marking 27 years of uninterrupted democratic rule and served as what the SGF described as an accountability exercise by the administration midway into its first term.
While acknowledging public concerns over the cost of living and security, the SGF insisted that government reforms were beginning to yield results.
“Evidence shows that the country is moving in the right direction,” he said.
The call by the House of Representatives followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Ibe Osonwa, who represents Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, during plenary on Tuesday.
Moving the motion titled ‘A call for immediate executive action on the surge in banditry, the daily abduction of schoolchildren, and the perilous security situation in Nigerian schools and places of worship,’ Osonwa expressed concern over the escalating wave of kidnappings, banditry and attacks on vulnerable communities nationwide.
The lawmaker reminded the Federal Government of its constitutional responsibility to protect citizens, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
He lamented the growing trend of attacks on schools, noting that “the abduction of schoolchildren across several parts of the country has disrupted education and deepened Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.”
According to him, “thousands of children have been forced out of classrooms due to fear of attacks, while many families continue to grapple with the trauma of kidnappings and prolonged captivity of loved ones.”
Osonwa further decried what he described as the systematic targeting of schools and places of worship by criminal elements, warning that institutions traditionally regarded as safe havens have increasingly become soft targets for bandits and kidnappers.
He said worshippers across the country now face the risk of attacks, abductions and killings while observing religious activities, a situation he noted undermines citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
The lawmaker also painted a grim picture of the economic consequences of insecurity, stating that “many businesses have shut down, farming communities have been deserted and families plunged into poverty as they struggle to raise ransom payments for abducted relatives.”