Nigeria’s Senate has demanded an immediate end to the Federal Government’s rehabilitation and reintegration of former Boko Haram members, insisting that terrorism suspects should be prosecuted instead of being returned to society as the country battles a worsening security crisis.
The resolution followed an emergency debate in the Senate over the growing wave of terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and deadly attacks targeting both civilians and military personnel across the country.
Lawmakers also paid tribute to late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar and other victims of insecurity, describing the continued attacks on serving and retired security officers as a grave threat to Nigeria’s national security and public confidence.
Leading the debate, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, said the killings and abductions of military officers represent a painful national loss and called for urgent reforms to Nigeria’s security strategy.
Several senators, including Joseph Ikpea and Adams Oshiomhole, argued that rehabilitating former insurgents undermines justice for victims and sends the wrong message at a time when communities continue to suffer from terrorist violence. They urged the government to ensure captured terrorists face the full weight of the law.
The Senate also called for a technology-driven overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, recommending greater use of drones, advanced surveillance systems, geospatial intelligence, stronger intelligence-sharing and closer collaboration with local communities to combat terrorism and banditry.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army confirmed that two senior Boko Haram commanders surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State. Military authorities said the suspects are in custody undergoing intelligence debriefing, with information already helping ongoing operations against insurgent networks.
The surrender has intensified debate over Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy, as the Senate insists that captured terrorists should be prosecuted rather than rehabilitated.
