By Kalu Obasi Benjamin
The Nigerian Senate has declared that the ongoing crisis of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency must come to an end by the close of 2026.
During a session on Wednesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed a firm commitment to flushing out criminal elements, promising that the 2026 budget will be heavily adjusted to favor the military. This stance follows a series of brutal attacks, including a recent ambush in Katsina State that claimed the lives of several police officers and dozens of civilians.
The call for action was sparked by Senator Garba Maidoki, who shared the personal tragedy of losing his brother, a warrant officer, to the insurgency. Maidoki argued that the current military force of roughly 230,000 soldiers is too small to protect such a vast country. He urged his colleagues to divert funds from any available source to properly equip the army, stating that infrastructure like roads and schools are useless if citizens are too afraid to use them.
In response, Senate President Akpabio suggested that because the military cannot be in every village at once, Nigeria must shift toward modern technology.
He advised the government to deploy sophisticated drones to monitor vast, remote areas where bandits often hide. Akpabio emphasized that the Senate’s goal is for Nigerians to “see the end of 2026” safely, rather than 2026 seeing the end of the people.
The Senate also specifically addressed the deteriorating situation in Katsina State, where recent violence has left 35 people dead in less than two weeks. Lawmakers warned that these attacks are crippling the nation’s food security, as over 50,000 farmlands can no longer be cultivated due to the presence of criminals.
To combat this, they called on President Tinubu to fulfill his promise of building new military barracks in the region and urged the police to deploy more armored vehicles to the area.
Beyond military force, the Senate urged communities to stay vigilant and help identify internal collaborators who might be aiding the bandits.
They also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and NEMA to provide immediate relief to families traumatized by the recent violence. Ultimately, the lawmakers believe that a combination of better funding, high-tech surveillance, and stronger community support is the only way to ensure the country is secure by the year’s end.
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