THE House of Representatives (Reps) has summoned key security and government officials to provide details of funds allocated to security agencies over the past six months, amid growing concerns over worsening insecurity across Nigeria.
Those invited include the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa; the Chief of Defence Staff and other service chiefs; the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu; the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Ajayi; the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed.
The resolution was passed following deliberations on several motions relating to insecurity presented before the House.
In addition, lawmakers called on President Bola Tinubu to extend the recruitment of forest guards to all states facing security challenges, similar to the initiative recently approved for Oyo State.
The move comes against the backdrop of increasing incidents of kidnapping and violent attacks in various parts of the country.
In recent weeks, more than 40 students and teachers were abducted from schools in Oyo State, while a separate kidnapping incident in Borno State also saw several students and teachers taken captive.
The incidents triggered widespread public outrage, prompting nationwide protests by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and other civil society groups demanding the immediate release of the victims.
Following the Oyo school abduction, President Tinubu dispatched a high-level delegation to the affected community.
The team included his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Inspector-General of Police, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
During the visit, Gbajabiamila conveyed the President’s concern over the incident, stressing that the deployment of top security officials demonstrated the administration’s commitment to securing the safe return of all abducted persons.
As part of efforts to strengthen security, President Tinubu also approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and directed a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify operations aimed at rescuing kidnapped victims and tackling insecurity nationwide.
