The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has issued a stern warning to politicians and public figures, urging them to stop exploiting Nigeria’s security crisis for political gain. Speaking at the resumption of plenary after the Sallah and primary election recess, Akpabio insisted that insecurity is a national emergency that demands unity, not partisan bickering. He emphasized that terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits target Nigeria and its people, not political parties.
Akpabio directed the Senate leadership to fast-track arrangements for a proposed national security summit, stressing the need for lawmakers to strengthen the country’s security architecture amid rising violent crimes and kidnappings. The upper chamber observed a minute of silence for the victims of a recent abduction in Oyo State, where two teachers and a child lost their lives. Akpabio described the tragedy as an assault on the nation’s collective humanity and called for coordinated action.
In a related development, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde urged all levels of government to work together to rescue abducted pupils and teachers, warning against politicizing the crisis. He met with labor unions, teachers, and student groups, assuring them that every available resource is being deployed. Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for blaming the security challenges on the previous administration, calling it revisionism.
The House of Representatives also demanded the immediate rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, calling for the establishment of state police and a decentralized security architecture. The Christian Association of Nigeria declared a three-day national mourning and demanded a state of emergency on security. In Kwara State, elders from the Kwara North Senatorial District claimed that over 1,200 people have been killed under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, warning that the ruling party risks losing political support if decisive action is not taken.
