By Obinna Uballa
The House of Representatives has strongly condemned the Federal Government for negotiating with bandits to secure the release of 24 students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
Speaking on Wednesday under the coalition “House to the Rescue,” lawmakers said the government’s engagement with kidnappers, as disclosed by President Bola Tinubu’s aide, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, amounts to a betrayal of Nigerians and erodes public confidence in national security institutions.
The condemnation follows a special plenary session on Tuesday, where members decried the rising insecurity and the daily fear faced by citizens amid kidnappings and violent banditry across the country.
In a joint statement signed by representatives from all six geopolitical zones, the group said:
“The House to the Rescue unequivocally condemns the Federal Government’s ongoing negotiations with bandits and criminal networks responsible for the wave of kidnappings tearing through Nigeria. At a time when citizens are crying out for protection, the government has chosen to sit at the same table with those who abduct children, terrorize communities, and undermine the authority of the Nigerian state.”
The lawmakers described the administration’s approach as “an abdication of responsibility” rather than leadership, noting that in recent weeks, fresh kidnappings in Kano, Kwara, Kebbi, and other states have left communities vulnerable and traumatized.
They warned that negotiating with violent non-state actors legitimises criminality, encourages further kidnappings, and undermines trust in security agencies. “No functioning nation rewards criminality with dialogue. Negotiation with bandits has never worked anywhere,” the statement said.
Citing international examples, they noted that talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces in Colombia emboldened kidnappers, back-channel contacts with Mexican cartels worsened kidnapping rates, concessions to the Taliban in Afghanistan allowed the group to regroup, and engagement with warlords in Somalia and jihadist groups in Mali deepened conflicts.
The lawmakers cautioned that Nigeria is no exception: “Negotiating with violent non-state actors leads to more violence, not peace.”
They demanded that the Federal Government immediately halt all negotiations with bandits, launch intelligence-driven operations to rescue victims, and publish a clear national security strategy with accountability mechanisms. They also called for full National Assembly oversight of any officials involved in unauthorized talks with criminals.
The statement was signed by Muhammed Soba (North West), Zakari Mohammed (North Central), Olasupo Abiodun (South West), Sadiq Ibrahim (North East), Uko Nkole (South East), and Bassey Ewa (South South).
