Senate Seeks End to Boko Haram Reintegration Programme, Pushes for Tougher Action Against Terrorists

By TGNews Reporter 

The Nigerian Senate has called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the rehabilitation and reintegration programme for former Boko Haram members, insisting that greater attention should be focused on arresting, prosecuting, and punishing terrorists responsible for violent attacks across the country.

The resolution was adopted during plenary on Tuesday following a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, who raised concerns over the growing wave of kidnappings, killings, and attacks targeting serving and retired military personnel.

Lawmakers described the trend as a serious threat to national security and the authority of the state, warning that criminal groups appear to be increasingly targeting individuals with military backgrounds and sensitive security experience.

As part of its resolutions, the Senate directed its committees on security matters to intensify oversight of security agencies and ensure that security chiefs remain accountable in addressing the country’s worsening security challenges.

The upper chamber also resolved that a delegation led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio should meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss the deteriorating security situation and explore urgent measures to curb the violence.

Presenting the motion, Senator Yar’Adua lamented the increasing number of attacks against current and retired military officers, noting that many incidents have ended in death, prolonged captivity, ransom payments, emotional trauma, and financial hardship for victims and their families.

He cited several cases, including the abduction of retired Colonel Rabiu Garba Yandoto and his two children in Zamfara State in January 2023, and the kidnapping and subsequent killing of retired Major General Richard Chukwudi Duru in Imo State later that year despite the payment of a substantial ransom.

The senator also recalled the killing of retired Brigadier General Uwem Udokwere at his residence in Abuja in June 2024, as well as the abduction of former National Youth Service Corps Director-General, Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (retd), who regained freedom after spending 56 days in captivity in 2025.

Other incidents highlighted included the death of retired Major Joe Ajayi in Kogi State, the kidnapping and rescue of retired Colonel Joseph Ajanaku in Plateau State, and the abduction and death of former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd), who was kidnapped alongside his wife in Katsina State in May 2026.

According to Yar’Adua, the deaths of retired military officers in the hands of terrorists represent a painful national tragedy and expose the persistent security challenges confronting Nigeria.

He warned that the growing attacks on serving and retired military personnel indicate a dangerous evolution in the tactics of terrorist and criminal groups, particularly because many of the victims previously occupied strategic operational, intelligence, and command positions within the nation’s security structure.

Following deliberations, senators unanimously urged the Federal Government to halt the rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorists, strengthen efforts to bring perpetrators of violent crimes to justice, and adopt more robust measures to protect citizens and restore confidence in the country’s security system.

The latest resolution reflects mounting concern within the National Assembly over the country’s security challenges, as lawmakers push for tougher measures to confront terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of violent crime threatening national stability.