Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has sparked nationwide concern after revealing that suspected Boko Haram members and other criminal elements were once found on recruitment lists for the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force. Wase made the shocking disclosure during a special plenary session on national security held on Wednesday at the National Assembly.
According to him, the matter is not speculative and can be verified by Muktar Betara, the former Chairman of the House Committee on Defence and current Chairman of the Committee on the Federal Capital Territory. He said that during previous screening exercises, individuals known within local communities as Boko Haram members, armed robbers and other criminals were shortlisted for recruitment into critical national security institutions.
Wase warned that such infiltration represents a grave threat to Nigeria’s stability, stressing that endorsements and recommendations for military and police recruitment must be handled with utmost responsibility. He disclosed that he has personally lost close family members—including a brother, cousin and nephew—to terrorist attacks, underscoring the urgency of addressing systemic weaknesses in the security sector. He added that the North Central region, which he represents, carries roughly 52 per cent of Nigeria’s total insecurity burden, a statistic he described as alarming.
The lawmaker recounted a disturbing request from one of his younger brothers, who pleaded to be relocated from their ancestral community due to repeated attacks and persistent fear. Wase said such personal experiences reflect the harsh reality faced by millions of Nigerians in regions plagued by terrorism, banditry and communal violence.
He also addressed the recent presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers from VIP protection duties. While acknowledging that the intention behind the policy may be to redirect manpower to pressing national security needs, he cautioned that the directive must be carefully categorised to avoid exposing essential government officials to danger. According to him, reforms aimed at strengthening security must be strategic, not blanket decisions that inadvertently create new vulnerabilities.
Other lawmakers representing different geopolitical zones also used the plenary to highlight the worsening security situation across the country. Speaking for the North-West Caucus, Sada Soli described the crisis in the region as “complex and layered.” He explained that insecurity there is driven by a dangerous combination of organised criminal networks, environmental pressures affecting farmlands and grazing routes, weak local governance structures and deteriorating economic conditions that push young people into violent groups. Soli said a purely military response will not resolve the crisis; Nigeria must rebuild trust in government, reform land and livestock systems and involve communities in designing long-term peace strategies.
For the North-East Caucus, Muktar Betara said the region remains the “ground zero” of terrorism in Nigeria. He recalled painful tragedies—such as the 2015 Baga massacre and numerous bomb attacks—that have killed both civilians and security personnel over the years. Betara said the region continues to face recurrent communal clashes, insurgent raids and displacement on a scale that demands more coordinated national action. However, he expressed hope that with the right strategy, improved intelligence operations and committed leadership, peace can be restored.
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From the South-South, Rivers lawmaker Solomon Bob criticised successive Nigerian administrations for lacking the political will to confront insecurity head-on. He argued that since 1999, governments have chosen negotiation and appeasement over decisive action, allowing violent groups to gain confidence and expand their reach. Bob warned that referring to terrorism as mere “banditry” undermines its true severity and encourages complacency.
Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs, Kafilat Ogbara, raised concern about the devastating impact of insecurity on women and children. She cited recent mass abductions in Papiri and Kamba as examples of how vulnerable populations continue to suffer the most. Ogbara said these incidents amount to a breach of the state’s fundamental obligation to protect the lives and property of citizens, especially those least able to defend themselves.
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