Many parts of Nigeria still suffer insecurity, bandit attacks and kidnappings. The Senate has said it will fast-track work on the constitutional amendments needed to create state police.

The disclosure came from the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, speaking on the plans of the National Assembly to make the country’s security system stronger.

“The Senate is ready to initiate the constitutional processes for the establishment of the state police and will give the process urgent attention,” he said.

He said lawmakers are resolute to complete the legal framework needed for state policing as soon as possible to enhance security and tackle criminal activities across the country.

The development comes as many Nigerians are sounding the alarm over the rising cases of kidnapping, banditry and violent attacks in different states.

There are also rising calls for the decentralization of policing powers, with greater roles for state governments in tackling security challenges across their territories.

“The lawmakers are ready to fast-track legislative action on the matter as part of their efforts to support the Federal Government in tackling the country’s security challenges,” Adaramodu said.

“The Senate stands ready to immediately begin the constitutional processes for the establishment of state police.

“We will ensure that the necessary legislative action is taken to establish state police to keep Nigerians safe and secure and drive out bandits and other criminals. “The legislature is ready to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians to confront the country’s security challenges.”

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Senator Ireti Kingibe from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has spoken out against the high level of insecurity in Nigeria.
The lawmaker said during an interview on Arise Television’s “Prime Time” on Monday that food insecurity is at its worst ever.

She also said that she was happy to see opposition groups working together for the good of the country rather than for their own gain.

“Everyone wants a better life at the end of the day. Insecurity has never been this bad, food insecurity is at its worst ever, taxes are going up, and more are coming.”

“Everything, including electricity and safety, has never been this bad. Food insecurity is at its highest level ever. Taxes that are impossible to pay and keep coming.

“So, let’s talk about phone calls. You have to call someone at least five times before you can actually talk to them. The whole country is falling apart.

“So it’s not just a matter of whether we want to take power or not.” She said, “The truth is that everyone is tired and worn out from just living.”

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that any government that doesn’t protect people and property has no reason to be in power. This is a clear sign of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and the problems the country is having with its leaders.

Obasanjo said that Nigeria’s problems are getting worse because of bad leadership. He also said that the country has lost its power in international affairs and ruined important relationships in the region, especially within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Obasanjo also said in an interview on News Central’s Soni Irabor Live (SIL) over the weekend that Nigeria was no longer “at the table” of global decision-making. He said that the country’s inability to shape events outside of its borders shows a lack of leadership in general.

The outspoken former leader of Africa’s most populous country said that Nigerians should not accept kidnapping and other social ills as normal, pointing out how easy it used to be for people to travel across the country.

He gave the federal government a harsh review, saying that any government that doesn’t protect life and property has lost its right to exist.

Obasanjo said that Nigeria’s security problems got worse after the civil war because there wasn’t enough control over the spread of weapons. He said that bad government and lack of attention had made the problem worse since then.

He also said that both outside and inside factors were to blame for the crisis. For example, armed mercenaries came back to Libya after the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, and armed groups were used for political purposes.

Obasanjo said that the rising number of children who are not in school, which is thought to be around 20 million, is a long-term security risk because it is a ready pool for future recruitment into extremist groups.

The former president said, “The other day, someone came to me and said that they were looking into the causes of insecurity at NIPSS (National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies). And I asked, “What is this about?” He said that the government told them to do this.

“I asked, “Will this government have the guts to do whatever you ask?” He said he didn’t know. And I said, “Listen, I came back to this country in 1959 after my first military training in the UK.” You could go anywhere in the North. Anyplace. And what you’ll get is people being nice there.

“And someone told me the other day that we’ve taken it (kidnapping) for granted.” It’s not news anymore. So when you hear that someone in your family has been taken, you all get together. They might let him go for N2,000. Should we accept that as the way things are? Not a chance.”

Obasanjo said, “The first duty of any government, no matter how it gets there, is to protect life and property.” If a government can’t protect its citizens’ lives and property, it doesn’t have the right to exist.

The former president was not hopeful about Nigeria’s future. When asked about the country’s future under the current leadership, he said, “I see nothing.” He said that the decline of democratic values, such as what he called the replacement of a “selectorate” for a real electorate, had made accountability and governance weaker.

Obasanjo specifically criticized how the Tinubu administration dealt with relations with Niger Republic after the recent coup there. He said the response was poorly thought out and hurt decades of regional cooperation that had been carefully built up over 50 years.

He said that Nigeria’s actions, like closing the border, cutting off electricity, and putting financial limits on the other country, hurt the long-standing historical, economic, and cultural ties between the two countries.

Obasanjo said that Nigeria and Niger had deep ties, including strong family ties across the border. He also said that working together was once very important for Nigeria’s strategic and military interests.

He said that Nigeria’s choices during the recent crisis in Niger showed that the highest levels of government don’t understand what’s going on. He said that Nigeria needs better leadership to get back on track. He said that Nigeria didn’t have to spend much money to keep its power, but it did need to be clear-headed and strategic, which he thought it wasn’t right now.

After the coup in Niger Republic, Tinubu, who was the chairman of ECOWAS, was thought to have taken a hard line, calling for sanctions, closing borders, and even threatening military action to restore constitutional order.

Critics, including Obasanjo, said that the situation was poorly handled and hurt long-standing ties with Niger, making the region less cohesive instead of strengthening ECOWAS’s authority.

Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso eventually left the group.

Obasanjo said, “Nigeria is not at the table of international politics today.” What is going on that Nigeria is having an effect on or affecting, and who is Nigeria affecting?

“Look at how we’ve dealt with ECOWAS. We worked for 50 years to make this. We messed it up overnight. And we have almost ruined it.

“It’s being a leader. There was a coup in Niger Republic. Our neighbor. At least 30% of the people in Niger Republic are related by blood to people in Nigeria.

“We were working on the Kanji Dam. Kanji would have been silly. So we told Niger Republic, “When the Kanji Dam is working, we’ll give you whatever you want for electricity.” We had to do that.

“It would have been hard for us to win the civil war without the Niger Republic. We used to get supplies from the Niger Republic to send to our troops on the front lines. Now, because of all this, they had to leave. We closed the border right away. Then we turned off their power. The next thing we did was to say, “No money.” With our borders that let things through!

Obasanjo said, “So, now you see what I meant when I said mishandling.” Being at the table doesn’t cost Nigeria much. But it needs to be understood. But, to be honest, I’m in pain. “Because I know what Nigeria could do.”

Obasanjo also said that the National Council of State (NCS), which is made up of former presidents who give advice, was not important. He said that going to its meetings was a waste of time. He said that the body was only there to give advice and that its suggestions were often ignored, which made it useless as a way to have real conversations or change policy.

The former president said again what he has always said about the economy and the oil industry: that government-owned refineries run by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) would not work well. He said that their ongoing poor performance was due to structural inefficiencies, bad maintenance, corruption, and not having enough scale.

He said that while he was in office, there were efforts to get private companies involved in running the refinery. For example, he talked to international oil companies like Shell, but they didn’t want to get involved because they were worried about making money and running the business smoothly. He also talked about a time when billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote tried to buy shares in the refineries, but his successor stopped that from happening.

Obasanjo said that the government had spent billions of dollars, up to $16 billion, on the refineries, but had little to show for it. He compared this to the success of privately run projects like the Nigeria LNG project, which he used as proof that public-private partnerships were better.

“Look at what we’re doing now, even with the NNPC.” NNPC owns refineries. And I told people that it would never work, he said.

The former president warned against the rise of a one-party state in Nigeria’s political system, saying it would hurt the country’s growth and democracy. He agreed with the president that he didn’t want a one-party state, but he still said that this kind of government would not be good for Nigeria.

Obasanjo said, “He (Tinubu) said he doesn’t want Nigeria to be a one-party state.” He said that. And, as I said, this time I will believe what he says. It will be a shame. Because it won’t even do what it was made to do.”

Obasanjo said he strongly believed that Nigeria could still get better, even though people were criticizing him. He said this was because of the country’s potential and the strength of its people.

But he stressed that real progress would only happen if there was a big change in the quality of leadership and the way the government works.

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Residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, and Niger State are scared because Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters are said to be planning to attack government buildings.

Reports from both inside and outside the country say that the planned targets include the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Kuje prison, and a military detention center in Niger state, which is next door.

Sources in security say that the planned attacks may be meant to free insurgents who are being held in jails.

A source from the Nigerian Customs confirmed the memo that went viral, but they didn’t say anything about the security alert.

But he did say that “it was an internal memo and not for the public.”

Reports say that there have been security worries in the capital city, with many reports of planned attacks.

But Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, the Commissioner of Police for the FCT Command, told reporters on Wednesday that the city is safe.

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According to reports, a nocturnal attack on a health center in the Oke Ijebu neighborhood of Akure, the capital of Ondo State, resulted in the kidnapping of no fewer than six health personnel.

Witnesses said that the attackers entered the building across from Mega School by force after arriving on a bus at around two in the morning.

All employees on duty, including interns, were allegedly picked up by the gunmen and transported to an undisclosed place in the waiting vehicle.

Despite being clearly frightened by the experience, patients receiving treatment at the time of the incident are said to have been uninjured.

In order to guarantee the safe release of the kidnapped health professionals and stop future attacks, local residents expressed grave concern over the occurrence, characterizing it as disturbing and calling for security forces to act immediately.

Authorities have not yet released an official comment about the incident as of the time of publishing.

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HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA), a pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, has criticized the military’s handling of information regarding the casualties from ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists’ attacks on its facilities. The rights group claimed that the military is disseminating false information to Nigerians in an effort to paint a positive picture of the Nigerian Army’s accomplishments, despite the fact that the terrorists are on the rise and have killed numerous junior ranks, women, and children.

According to HURIWA, the Defense Headquarters spokesperson who recently stated that the terrorists should be rehabilitated and reintegrated is guilty of indiscretion and need to face administrative sanctions because the terrorists are committing heinous crimes against humanity. Just as the Rights organization urged that terrorists should be executed for their crimes against humanity, HURIWA is against any discussion of rehabilitation for terrorists who have blood on their hands.

Following attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) at various locations in Borno State over the course of seven days, the Nigerian military has lost at least three commanding officers in charge of forward operations bases, according to the Rights group, which cited reliable eyewitness accounts obtained by highly credible media outlets reporting from the North-East of Nigeria. HURIWA bemoaned the fact that the Nigerian Army has failed to collect the remains of Brigadier General Uba, who was allegedly seized and put to death by ISWAP. “Any country’s military is in decline if it is losing junior soldiers and permitting terrorists to kill its senior military officers.” We have to tell ourselves the truth and be honest. The federal government must act to stop the military’s collapse and provide soldiers with the tools and motivation they need to fight and destroy terrorists.

One brigadier general and seven commanding officers have purportedly been killed in the last three months, according to reliable media reports.

The recent attacks, according to local and security observers, show that rebels in Borno continue to pose a threat despite continuous military operations meant to weaken their capabilities.

Therefore, HURIWA is upset that the military’s leadership could approve the spread of false information to mislead Nigerians and convince them that the death toll was not as high as is being reported, despite the fact that the same military acknowledged that about 40 soldiers were killed in Borno and confirmed the murder of just one commanding officer. According to HURIWA, Nigeria is the only country in the world where Islamic terrorists are mass-murdering trained military personnel. The Nigerian military chiefs have committed an unacceptable breach of duty.

The army claimed in a statement released on Saturday by Lt. Col. Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, that the report misrepresented the events and neglected to recognize the efforts of soldiers who protected villages from organized terrorist attacks.

The statement claimed that remnants of Boko Haram, who had previously been driven from Sambisa Forest during prolonged military operations, were responsible for the attacks.

According to the statement, “the attacks on multiple communities occurred when remnants of Boko Haram terrorists, who had previously been driven from the Sambisa Forest during prolonged offensive operations by troops, regrouped and launched coordinated night attacks from multiple directions.”

According to the army, the attacks were directed at troops and villages in the vicinity of Konduga, Ngoshe, Mainok, and Jakana.

The statement went on, “The troops on the ground responded quickly and fought gallantly to repel the terrorists and defend the affected communities.”

It acknowledged that a number of terrorists were neutralized during the battles, but it also stated that some soldiers and a commanding officer were killed while fighting the assailants.

However, just as the Rights group bemoaned the state of the counterterrorism war and advised military hierarchy to adopt more effective and efficient methods to decimate, degrade, and destroy the terrorists, HURIWA asked the military to always inform Nigerians of the accurate accounts of the casualties rather than try to trick us into believing that everything is well with the military. President Bola Tinubu must end the unlawful practice of rehabilitating and reintegrating terrorists who kill people.

In a press release, HURIWA claimed that the media report’s claim that the military has stepped up operations in high-risk areas such the Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, the Mandara Mountains, and the Lake Chad Basin is accurate.

According to military claims, numerous large terrorist camps are being destroyed, and numerous rebel commanders and fighters are being killed during operations carried out on several fronts.

Major U.I. Mairiga, who oversaw the Mayenti station; Lieutenant Colonel Umar Faruq, who commanded the Kukawa base and the 101 Brigade; and Lieutenant Colonel S.I. Iliyasu, who served in Konduga, were the three leading commanders who were recently slain, according to media reports.

HURIWA remembered that commanding officers in Damasak, Kukawa, and Bama have also reportedly been killed while defending their bases during the past three months.

The majority of the fatalities, according to the findings, were caused by insurgent ambushes during clearance operations or attacks on military bases.

Current assault

The most recent event happened on Monday, March 9, when rebels overran a military camp in Borno’s Kukawa Local Government Area, murdering Lt-Col Umar Faruq, the commanding commander, and a number of soldiers.

Around 12 a.m., according to local and security sources, the insurgents attacked the base.

They attacked the military camp after storming the town from all sides. According to a security source, they drove away munitions, put cars on fire, and uprooted the soldiers.

“I am unable to verify the exact number of casualties, but regrettably, we also lost the commanding officer,” the insider continued.

Lt-Col Sani Uba, the spokesperson for the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, said that a brave officer had died in the assault, but he did not reveal his identity.

The military base was also attacked by rebels last month, but forces headed by the late Lt-Col. Umar Faruq resisted them, reportedly killing numerous terrorists.

On social media, the community’s citizens applauded his response to the previous attack.

Karta Maina Ma’aji Lawan, the representative of Kukawa Local Government Area in the Borno State House of Assembly, was seen celebrating the earlier victory with troops in a video that has gone viral.

Despite the fact that the military base was overwhelmed, the congressman who reported the most recent attack stated that other military forces in the region had subsequently regained composure.

Attacks by others

Boko Haram insurgents attacked Major Umar Ibrahim Mairiga’s base in Mayenti, Bama Local Government Area, on March 1, 2026, killing Mairiga, another commanding officer.

According to a security source, the cop put up a valiant fight against the assault but was ultimately overpowered.

Major U.I. Mairiga, the unit leader, put up a valiant battle against the terrorists but was ultimately defeated when several of his soldiers escaped into the bush.

“He died a valiant soldier.” He was overcome after killing a large number of them. We found RPGs and anti-aircraft weapons when I arrived as reinforcement, and we spotted numerous Boko Haram fighter corpses,” the individual stated.

According to the source, the officer received a special promotion and was deployed to the forward operations post less than four months prior.

The attack took place weeks after a military base in Jakana, Kaga Local Government Area, was attacked by terrorists who allegedly set fire to armored vehicles and stole a lot of munitions, killing several troops.

Lt-Col S.I. Iliyasu, the commanding officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga, was murdered on March 6 along with a number of other soldiers in an additional onslaught by Boko Haram militants.

The attack reportedly claimed the lives of a lieutenant and other members of the 21 Special Armoured Brigade.

On January 28, Boko Haram fighters ambushed a military unit in Damasak, killing seven troops, including the commanding officer.

According to reports, the terrorists attacked a patrol unit, kidnapped the officer, and killed him and several staff members.

The Nigerian Army stated on October 20, 2025, that Aliyu Saidu Paiko, the 202 Battalion’s commanding officer, and several soldiers had died in a confrontation with terrorists from Boko Haram in Bama Local Government Area.

Troops assigned to the 21 Special Armoured Brigade under Operation Hadin Kai had previously fended off terrorists during an attack on October 17 in Kashimri, Bama Local Government Area, according to Army spokesperson Appolonia Anele.

Fourteen soldiers are said to have been slain in a concerted attack on a military base in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area, last Wednesday. Over 100 individuals were kidnapped and a senior military officer was also killed.

HURIWA is urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a six-month state of emergency in Borno State in response to the resurgence of attacks on both soft and hard targets. This will allow the military to concentrate more on eliminating the terrorists and reestablishing stability and peace in Borno State.

It’s a fact that Nigeria’s battle on terror is all but lost. The federal government must more urgently devise workable solutions to the expanding frontiers of warfare that ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists have brought upon Nigeria. One such solution is to grant arms licenses to law-abiding adult Nigerians, both male and female, so they can carry sophisticated weapons like the AK-47 and AK-49 rifle.

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Six travelers were kidnapped by armed bandits on Sunday night in Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State, along the Shagba-Babanla route under the Igbaja Division.

The Babanla neighborhood is in a state of panic as a result of the incident, which happened at around 7:15 p.m., and locals are expressing increasing concerns about the area’s growing insecurity.

Newsmen were informed by security sources that the victims were on their way from Oke-Ode to Babanla when the gunmen ambushed them and drove them to an unidentified location.

Wasiu Wahabi, Gani, Abdulateef Meco, and the Chief Imam of Babanla town, Alhaji Sarafa Raheem, were among those kidnapped.

As of the time this report was filed, the identity of two further victims were still unknown, however reports suggested that one of the victims the attackers had taken was a Bororo man.

Residents of Babanla and the surrounding settlements are demanding immediate security agency action as a result of the incident, which has caused tension and fear.

According to locals cited in the Daily Post, the incident happened in the evening when armed men invaded some areas and forcibly removed the victims.

According to witnesses, the shooters emerged out of nowhere, operated for a few minutes, and then fled the scene with their victims.

The scenario was alarming, according to a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, and the neighborhood had grown more concerned about the growing number of insecurity instances.

Residents who often travel along the Shagba–Babanla road, which is allegedly an important route connecting various settlements in the area, are also more afraid as a result of the kidnapping.

Security services have been urged by the community to step up efforts to save the victims and reestablish local safety.

In order to stop other attacks, they also asked the government to increase the security presence along the road.

Some locals bemoaned the rising number of kidnapping and banditry episodes in the area, emphasizing the necessity for immediate action to stop future security breaches.

However, at the time this news was filed, security agencies had not yet issued an official comment about the occurrence.

As authorities step up efforts to handle the security issue, locals have been asked to maintain composure and alertness.

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According to Mr. Tony Nyiam, a veteran army officer, the Nigeria Police Force’s current organizational structure is out of date because its primary purpose was to control colonized people rather than assist citizens in a democratic country.

On Arise Television on Monday, Nyiam made the claim.

He declared, “The colonial-era policing system is no longer appropriate for modern Nigeria and is largely unchanged.”

He asserts that the organization was not designed to offer community-focused security but rather to impose authority over the populace during colonial rule.

Nyiam contended that the police force’s highly centralized structure has hindered its ability to effectively handle the nation’s escalating security issues.

The retired army general emphasized the necessity of a thorough overhaul of the police force to bring it into compliance with Nigeria’s democratic ideals and federal structure.

He urged decision-makers to examine the existing structure for law enforcement and implement changes that would improve the system’s responsiveness, accountability, and capacity to successfully safeguard people’s lives and property nationwide.

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On Monday, a four-story building housing a school in the Ogba district collapsed minutes after the students and instructors had left the building, narrowly avoiding tragedy.

It was reported that the building collapsed at midday, less than three minutes after personnel and students had been evacuated.

In Ogba’s Aguda neighborhood, the structure is situated at 11 Adudatu Street, behind County Hospital.

Building collapses have reportedly occurred recently in Lagos.

As of the filing of this report, the reason of the collapse has not been determined.

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Local government congresses organized by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a faction devoted to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, caused violence in several areas of Oyo State on Saturday.

According to our correspondent, the PDP has two groups in the state. There are two factions: one supports Wike, and the other supports Seyi Makinde, the state governor.

On Saturday, the local government congresses were organized by the Wike-led group.

However, the congresses descended into violence, resulting in numerous attacks. There have been reports of about twenty-five injuries.

In certain local government districts, there has been vandalism of property, including homes and cars.

Attacks have been recorded in Ibadan North, Ido, Ibarapa Central, Akinyele, and Ogbomoso North, among other local government areas.

Our correspondent discovered that Barrister Hazim Gbolarumi, a former state governor, had been attacked at his home in Bodija, in the Ibadan North local government area.

Millions of naira worth of properties were reportedly damaged within the structure.

Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, the chairman of the Wike-led PDP group in Oyo, confirmed the attacks on Saturday afternoon.

Thugs are circulating to terrorize the populace, Akinoso observed.

The damages might need to be upgraded. There have been reports of damage to over 25 automobiles. They are assaulting people at home and circling the local governments. “There was damage to buildings,” he stated.

Olayinka Ayanlade, the Oyo State Police Command’s public relations officer, verified the event on Saturday after being contacted.

According to him, the police are monitoring the situation.

“A political party’s internal affairs are involved. The congress did not witness it. It’s not inside the Congress buildings.

“We learned that a former state governor’s home had been attacked. The hoodlums’ arrest has been ordered by CP. “We are monitoring the situation,” the police spokesperson stated.

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