FG Must Decide on Negotiation or Force, Kebbi Senator Insists

Senator Garba Maidoki, representing Kebbi South, has called on the federal government to make a clear choice between negotiating with armed bandits or confronting them militarily, noting that authorities already have detailed intelligence on the groups responsible for recent abductions in the northern region.

Speaking during plenary on Wednesday while contributing to a motion on escalating insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger states, Maidoki expressed mixed emotions over the recent release of 24 schoolgirls abducted in his constituency.

“I am both happy and concerned,” the senator said. “I am happy that the 24 girls from Maga have been released safely and are unharmed. But it is troubling that such attacks continue despite our knowledge of the perpetrators.”

Maidoki emphasized that security agencies are aware of the identities, locations, and motives of the bandits. “We know who they are. We know where they operate. We know what they want. The government must now decide: negotiate and conclude it, or fight and finish it decisively,” he said.

The senator also demanded accountability regarding reports that security personnel were withdrawn from the school prior to the abduction. “It is crucial to determine who ordered the withdrawal of soldiers from Maga Primary School and under whose instruction. Nigerians deserve answers, and until we get them, these incidents will persist,” Maidoki added.

Meanwhile, the Senate has commenced efforts to classify kidnapping as a terrorism offence under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act. Lawmakers are proposing that perpetrators face capital punishment without the option of a fine, in response to rising insecurity across the country.