The Senate has urged the Federal Government to stop the Boko Haram rehabilitation and reintegration policy. Instead, it should prosecute former insurgents, terrorists and bandits for crimes committed against Nigerians.
According to Vanguard, the Senate reached the resolution after a motion of urgent national importance on escalating attacks, abductions and killings of serving and retired military personnel. This motion was sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, during plenary.
Lawmakers condemned the worsening insecurity across the country, describing it as persistent, complex and alarming. Moreover, they said terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and attacks on communities had continued to claim innocent lives in several parts of Nigeria.
The Senate also observed a minute of silence in honour of the late Major-General Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information. It also honoured other Nigerians killed by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.
Moving the motion, Yar’Adua said the killing of Abubakar and other retired military officers represented a painful national loss. This loss, he argued, required urgent action.
He said retired officers had become targets because of their former operational, intelligence and command roles. He also warned that continued attacks on security personnel weaken troop morale and embolden criminal groups.
The call to stop Boko Haram rehabilitation came through an additional prayer raised by Senator Joseph Ikpea. He said Nigerians had become deeply worried about the policy.
“Mr. President, my additional prayer is that the issue of insecurity has become something Nigerians are deeply concerned about. One of the issues we need to look at is the rehabilitation of Boko Haram members. My additional prayer is to stop the rehabilitation of Boko Haram,” Ikpea said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole supported the proposal. He argued that the government should focus on justice for victims rather than reintegrating those who committed violent crimes.
“It does not make even common sense to grant pardon, rehabilitate and reintegrate criminals into society,” Oshiomhole said.
The Senate also urged security and intelligence agencies to improve intelligence gathering, surveillance, threat assessment and early warning systems. This would help to prevent attacks and respond faster to threats.
Lawmakers further called for stronger collaboration with local communities, traditional rulers and religious leaders to build trust-based security partnerships.
The Senate also asked the Federal Government to accelerate the use of modern security technology. This includes drones, geo-spatial intelligence, integrated command platforms and advanced communication systems, to fight terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
During the session, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau said security personnel deserved support for their efforts against criminal groups.
“Our men and women in uniform are doing their best. They have been successful in decimating many criminal elements and deserve our continued support,” Barau said.
The resolution came as the Nigerian Army announced the surrender of two senior terrorist commanders to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State.
The Army said the two commanders surrendered to troops in Geidam. Afterward, authorities moved them to Maiduguri for profiling, debriefing and intelligence exploitation.
Military authorities said the suspects held influential positions within the terrorist structure. Furthermore, they provided useful intelligence on operational methods, logistics and support networks.
The fresh surrender has raised new questions about how the government will handle senior terrorist figures. This comes especially after the Senate demanded an end to Boko Haram rehabilitation and called for prosecution instead of reintegration.
