Senate Demands End to Boko Haram Terrorists’ Rehabilitation Programme

The Senate has called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the rehabilitation and reintegration programme for Boko Haram members while urging security agencies to intensify efforts to arrest and prosecute terrorists and other criminal elements responsible for violent attacks across the country.

The resolution was adopted during Tuesday’s plenary after lawmakers considered a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua on the rising cases of attacks, abductions and killings involving serving and retired military personnel. The senator described the trend as a growing threat to national security and the authority of the Nigerian state.

As part of its resolutions, the upper chamber directed its committees responsible for security matters to strengthen oversight of security agencies and ensure that the nation’s security chiefs remain fully accountable for addressing the worsening security situation.

The Senate also resolved that a delegation led by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, should meet with President Bola Tinubu to discuss the escalating security crisis and explore measures to curb the growing wave of violence across the country.

While presenting the motion, Senator Yar’Adua lamented the increasing attacks targeting serving and retired military officers in different parts of Nigeria. He noted that the incidents have led to deaths, prolonged captivity, ransom payments, emotional trauma and economic hardship for victims, their families and the nation.

Senate Highlights Rising Attacks on Military Officers

To underscore the severity of the situation, the lawmaker highlighted several high-profile cases recorded in recent years. Among them was the abduction of retired Colonel Rabiu Garba Yandoto and his two children along the Gusau–Tsafe Road in Zamfara State on January 1, 2023.

He also recalled the kidnapping and subsequent killing of retired Major General Richard Chukwudi Duru in Imo State in September 2023, despite the payment of a $50,000 ransom. In another incident, retired Brigadier General Uwem Udokwere was murdered by intruders at his residence in Lokogoma, Abuja, in June 2024.

The senator further cited the abduction of former National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director General, Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (retd), who spent 56 days in captivity before regaining his freedom in April 2025.

Other incidents highlighted during the debate included the abduction and death of retired Major Joe Ajayi in Kogi State in May 2025, the kidnapping and subsequent rescue of retired Colonel Joseph Ajanaku in Plateau State in January 2026, and the abduction and death in captivity of former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd), who was kidnapped alongside his wife in Katsina State on May 30, 2026.

Senator Yar’Adua said, “the killing of retired Major General Abubakar and other victims while in the custody of terrorists represents a painful national loss and underscores the persistent insecurity confronting the country.”

He also warned that the increasing targeting of serving and retired military personnel by terrorists and criminal groups signals a dangerous shift in the country’s security landscape, particularly because many of the victims previously held sensitive operational, intelligence and command positions within Nigeria’s security architecture.

Following its deliberations, the Senate resolved to call on the Federal Government to halt the rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorists, ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for violent crimes, and strengthen the nation’s security response through enhanced oversight and sustained engagement with the presidency.