Senate Declares Kidnapping an Act of Terrorism, Pushes for Death Penalty in Sweeping National Security Shake-Up

In a charged session that underscored Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, the Senate on Wednesday took one of its most hardline positions yet, formally classifying kidnapping as an act of terrorism and recommending the death penalty for anyone found guilty of the crime. The move follows the November 18 attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, where two worshippers were killed and 38 abducted in a coordinated assault that shook the nation and ignited fresh debate over Nigeria’s chronic battle with armed groups.

The lawmakers’ decision reflects growing alarm over escalating violence across parts of the North and Middle Belt, with senators warning that insecurity in Kwara, Niger and Kebbi States has reached a dangerous tipping point. The fear is no longer abstract. It is now a daily reality for communities trapped in the crossfire of bandits, armed militias, and criminal networks who have taken advantage of poorly secured borders, dense forest corridors and gaps in intelligence to carry out increasingly bold operations.

The Senate painted a grim picture: schools shut down, families displaced, and entire local government areas living under siege. The closure of all 47 Federal Unity Colleges—once considered safe education havens—was cited as a red flag that Nigeria’s security infrastructure is no longer keeping pace with the threat levels. Lawmakers expressed outrage that in one incident, troops were allegedly withdrawn from a school in Kebbi State shortly before an attack, raising questions about sabotage, compromised intelligence and internal collaborators.

Adding to concerns was the killing of Brigadier-General Uba, which senators linked to possible intelligence leaks within the military’s operational system. For many lawmakers, the incident was a chilling reminder that the insecurity challenge is no longer confined to remote villages—it is penetrating the very institutions meant to serve as Nigeria’s last line of defense.

Senators highlighted the increasing use of forest belts as operational bases by armed groups. The Kwara–Kogi axis, the Shiroro–Rafi–Munya triangle in Niger, and similar routes have become safe havens from which attackers can strike and escape with troubling ease. These corridors, they warned, have evolved into “ungoverned spaces” where bandits operate with impunity, conduct surveillance, and negotiate ransoms without serious obstacles.

Beyond the failures of terrain and intelligence, lawmakers said Nigeria’s security manpower is grossly inadequate for its population of over 230 million people. Compared to nations with similar demographics, Nigeria’s combined police and military personnel fall far below global recommendations, leaving communities vulnerable and overstretched officers unable to respond quickly or decisively. This manpower deficit, senators argued, is now feeding the rise in kidnappings, rural attacks and highway ambushes.

As part of immediate actions, the Senate directed the Ministry of Works to urgently rehabilitate the Idofian–Omu-Aran–Eruku–Egbe–Kabba road, describing it as a critical escape route regularly exploited by attackers fleeing security response teams. Lawmakers said road collapses and poor infrastructure were giving criminals an advantage, slowing the movement of troops while offering quicker passage for bandits familiar with the terrain.

The Senate also called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s firearms laws, empowering vetted vigilante groups, hunters and community security outfits to support conventional forces. The idea, according to lawmakers, is not to militarize communities but to strengthen local defenses in areas security agencies cannot reach quickly.

In a major structural shake-up, the Senate dissolved its Committees on National Security and Intelligence, and on Air Force, citing dissatisfaction with their performance amid worsening attacks. Other security committees were instructed to submit reports within one week—an unusually strict timeline that signals lawmakers’ impatience with bureaucratic delays and uncoordinated responses.

Recognizing that insecurity now operates beyond state and national borders, the Senate approved new international partnerships to bolster intelligence sharing, surveillance technology and counter-terrorism training. The aim is to align Nigeria’s security framework with modern global standards, improve cross-border monitoring and deploy advanced digital tools in tracking criminal networks.

Lawmakers also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for coordinating rescue operations that led to the release of 51 abducted Niger students and all 38 victims taken during the Eruku church attack. While praising the president’s interventions, senators insisted that Nigeria cannot continue to function on rescue missions alone. Prevention, they emphasized, must become the country’s central strategy.

The Senate’s resolution to classify kidnapping as terrorism—and to recommend the death penalty—marks a drastic shift in Nigeria’s legal approach to insecurity. If adopted into law, it would allow prosecutors to charge kidnappers under the same statutes used for high-profile terror groups, enabling tougher sentences, broader investigative powers and stricter bail conditions. Supporters of the measure argue that the severity of the punishment reflects the severity of the crime, especially as kidnappers increasingly use extreme violence, sexual assault and mass abductions as tools of intimidation.

Critics, however, warn that capital punishment alone cannot solve systemic issues such as poverty, unemployment, rural neglect and institutional corruption. Though these concerns were not dominant during the Senate session, they remain part of Nigeria’s larger debate over how to confront insecurity without undermining human rights or driving criminal enterprises further underground.

Still, for communities facing relentless attacks—farmers driven off their lands, traders robbed on highways, and schoolchildren living in fear—the Senate’s decision signals a government ready to adopt tougher measures. Whether these measures translate into real change on the ground will depend on implementation, political will and the ability of security agencies to rebuild public trust.

In their closing remarks, senators issued a stark warning: Nigeria’s insecurity is no longer a regional problem. It is fast becoming the single greatest threat to the country’s unity, education system, rural economy and overall stability. Unless decisive action is taken, they cautioned, the ripple effects could undermine national development, deepen ethnic tensions and erode confidence in the state’s capacity to protect its people.

As citizens wait to see how quickly the resolutions are implemented, one message from the Senate echoed loudly through the National Assembly complex—kidnapping has crossed the line, and Nigeria must now treat it as an act of terrorism with consequences as severe as the crime itself.