ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Senate on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to suspend the rehabilitation and reintegration programme for repentant terrorists, insisting that those involved in acts of terrorism should be arrested, prosecuted and made to face the full weight of the law.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua during plenary on the increasing attacks, abductions and killings of serving and retired military officers across the country.
Lawmakers described the trend as a growing threat to national security and directed relevant Senate committees to strengthen oversight of security agencies to ensure they step up efforts to combat terrorism and other violent crimes.
The upper legislative chamber also resolved that a delegation led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio should meet with President Bola Tinubu to discuss the deteriorating security situation and possible measures to address it.
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Leading the debate, Yar’Adua said recent attacks on serving and retired military personnel had exposed the worsening security challenges confronting the country, with many victims either killed or held captive for ransom.
According to him, beyond the loss of lives, the attacks have inflicted emotional and financial hardship on victims’ families while undermining public confidence in the nation’s security architecture.
To support his position, the senator highlighted several incidents involving retired military officers. He recalled the January 2023 abduction of retired Colonel Rabiu Garba Yandoto and his two children along the Gusau-Tsafe road in Zamfara State.
He also cited the September 2023 kidnap and subsequent killing of retired Major General Richard Chukwudi Duru in Imo State despite the payment of a $50,000 ransom.
Yar’Adua further referenced the June 2024 killing of retired Brigadier General Uwem Udokwere at his residence in Lokogoma, Abuja, as well as the abduction of former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (retd), who regained his freedom after spending 56 days in captivity in 2025.
The lawmaker equally mentioned the abduction and death of retired Major Joe Ajayi in Kogi State, the rescue of retired Colonel Joseph Ajanaku after he was kidnapped in Plateau State in January 2026, and the death in captivity of former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd), who was abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State in May this year.
He described the killing of Major General Abubakar and other retired officers while in captivity as a painful reminder of the country’s persistent security crisis.
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Yar’Adua warned that the growing pattern of attacks on military veterans was particularly alarming because many of them previously occupied sensitive command, intelligence and operational positions, making the trend a serious national security concern.
Following deliberations, the Senate urged the Federal Government to discontinue the rehabilitation and reintegration programme for terrorists and instead intensify efforts to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of terrorism and other violent crimes.
The lawmakers also tasked security agencies with strengthening their operations to curb insecurity while urging closer engagement between the executive and the National Assembly in tackling the country’s security challenges.