The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu to launch a sustained, intelligence-led military operation against terrorists and bandits across Northern Nigeria while also demanding the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The lawmakers said the worsening wave of killings, kidnappings and terrorist attacks had reached an intolerable level, with Nigerians being killed in their homes, farms and communities and others abducted during religious services.
The caucus made the demands in a statement signed by its leader, Fredrick Agbedi, and spokesperson, Afam Ogene, on Thursday.
The lawmakers urged Mr Tinubu to move beyond issuing condemnations after attacks and deploy overwhelming force to reclaim communities, forests and other areas occupied by terrorists, bandits and criminal groups.
“The scale and frequency of the attacks have become intolerable,” the lawmakers said, adding that families had been separated, children abducted from schools and entire communities forced to flee their ancestral homes.
The caucus cited recent attacks across several northern states as evidence of the deteriorating security situation.
It said more than 20 people were killed in recent attacks in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, including at least 23 victims in one incident.
In Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, armed men reportedly abducted more than 60 worshippers during Friday prayers, with many still unaccounted for.
The lawmakers also cited the killing of at least 40 people, including the Chief Imam of Ungushi community, in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
At least 30 people were also killed in Naridon village in Kaduna State’s Kaura Local Government Area, while bandit reprisals continued to claim lives in Katsina State, according to the caucus.
Lawmakers Demand Sustained Military Offensive
The Minority Caucus urged the president to replicate on a larger scale the intelligence-led strategy used to rescue schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to the lawmakers, the victims were rescued after security operatives targeted the kidnappers’ networks and hideouts.
They called for areas used by terrorists and bandits to be “locked down” to restrict their movement and disrupt their operations.
Security agencies, they said, should search forests, hideouts and other criminal enclaves, cut off supply routes and communications, and sustain operations until the criminals are neutralised and abducted Nigerians 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,” they said.
The lawmakers stressed that the operation must be intelligence-led, professionally executed and sustained.
Call for Tinubu to Visit Affected Communities
The caucus also urged Mr Tinubu to increase his visibility in communities devastated by insecurity.
It said that after visiting Plateau State, the president should proceed to Zamfara State and travel to Illela to engage directly with communities affected by terrorism and banditry.
“Nigerians need to see their president physically present in the places where their fellow citizens are being killed and abducted,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers described such visits as necessary leadership during a national security emergency.
Reps Propose $5 Billion Security Fund
The caucus also called on the federal government to provide whatever resources were necessary to fight terrorism and banditry.
It proposed that the government draw $5 billion from Nigeria’s external reserves for an “extraordinary national security intervention” if funding was a constraint.
The lawmakers argued that protecting lives and livelihoods must remain the government’s foremost responsibility.
“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,” it said.
Push for Soldiers’ Salary Increase
The Minority Caucus welcomed the recent increase in the salaries of members of the Armed Forces but called for its immediate implementation.
The lawmakers urged Mr Tinubu to forward the necessary amendment to the 2026 Appropriation Act and a supplementary appropriation bill to the National Assembly to provide the legal and financial framework for the salary increase.
The caucus said it was prepared to join other lawmakers in reconvening immediately, if necessary, to consider the measures.
“The welfare of our soldiers cannot be subjected to avoidable procedural delays when the nation is at war with terrorists and bandits,” it said.
‘Nigerians Do Not Need Condolences’
The lawmakers said Nigeria had reached a point where stronger action was needed to protect citizens, arguing that Nigerians needed security rather than repeated condolences after attacks.
“President Tinubu has the constitutional authority, the military capacity and the national mandate to act. He must act now,” the lawmakers said.
“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.”
Caucus Demands El-Rufai’s Release
The Minority Caucus also demanded the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, describing his continued detention as increasingly resembling political persecution.
The lawmakers said their concerns extended beyond Mr El-Rufai to the credibility and consistency of the federal government’s anti-corruption campaign.
They questioned whether anti-corruption enforcement was being applied evenly, citing the composition of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council and the roles given to individuals who, according to the caucus, had faced serious corruption allegations and public controversy.
The lawmakers argued that Mr El-Rufai’s continued detention raised questions about whether the anti-corruption campaign was being pursued consistently and without political considerations.
They consequently described him as a “political prisoner” and demanded his immediate release.
“The fight against corruption must be a fight against corruption, not a fight against political opponents,” the caucus said.
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