The Senate has taken a tougher stance on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, approving a resolution that categorises kidnapping as terrorism and mandates the death sentence for anyone convicted of the crime.
During Wednesday’s plenary, lawmakers agreed that the Terrorism Act must be amended to ensure that once guilt is established in any kidnapping case, the maximum penalty—death—is automatically applied.
Nigeria continues to battle rampant insecurity, with armed groups known locally as bandits unleashing violence on rural communities, killing residents and abducting victims for ransom.
Amid the rising wave of attacks, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered a full military lockdown around forests in Kwara State, aiming to flush out the criminals behind recent kidnappings.
Just days earlier, gunmen invaded Isapa in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, whisking away 11 people in yet another disturbing assault on rural communities.
The latest raid followed a mass abduction at Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku, where 38 worshippers were taken, deepening fear among residents already shaken by repeated attacks.
In Niger State, terrorists stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, abducting over 300 students and staff—a brutal reminder of mass kidnappings that have tormented the country for over a decade.
Kebbi State also suffered another blow when 24 girls were seized from Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Maga, though they were rescued on Tuesday after days in captivity.
While nearly 50 abductees from St. Mary’s managed to escape, more than 265 children and teachers remain in the hands of their captors.
Nigeria’s experience with mass school abductions dates back to the infamous Chibok attack in 2014, when Boko Haram militants kidnapped 276 girls, drawing global outrage and exposing the nation’s deep security fractures.
