A disturbing revelation stunned lawmakers on Wednesday as former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Idris-Wase, disclosed that individuals linked to Boko Haram and other criminal gangs were, at some point, discovered on official recruitment lists of the Nigerian Army and Police.
Speaking during a special plenary session convened to address Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, Wase who represents Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau State and leads the North Central Caucus warned that the infiltration of security institutions by criminal elements poses an existential threat to national stability.
According to him, his claim can be verified by former Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Hon. Muktar Betara, who witnessed similar irregularities.
“There were times during recruitment exercises when names of Boko Haram members appeared on the list. Armed robbers and criminals were also discovered among those shortlisted for the Army and Police,” Wase said.
The former Deputy Speaker blamed loopholes in Nigeria’s recruitment processes for enabling dangerous individuals to penetrate agencies charged with protecting citizens. He urged political actors to show restraint when recommending candidates, insisting that only individuals of integrity and good character should be endorsed.
Wase, who emotionally recalled losing a brother, cousin and nephew to terrorist attacks, said the North Central bears 52% of Nigeria’s insecurity burden. He described a desperate plea from his younger brother begging to be relocated from their violence-stricken community.
He also called for a careful review of the presidential directive withdrawing police from VIP protection duties, warning that while the policy is laudable, it requires proper categorisation to avoid exposing certain officials to grave risks.
North West:
Hon. Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) described the region’s security crisis as “complex and multi-layered,” driven by a mix of criminality, climate shocks, broken governance structures and economic hardship. He stressed that military action alone is insufficient, calling for security operations to be paired with social and economic reforms.
North East:
Hon. Muktar Betara said the North East remains the “epicentre of terrorism and insurgency,” recalling tragedies from the 2015 Baga massacre to recent IED explosions claiming soldiers and civilians. He said rebuilding public trust and enhancing coordinated security planning are essential to halting the violence.
South South:
Hon. Solomon Bob condemned successive governments for lacking the courage to confront insecurity head-on. “Since 1999, we have seen failure of leadership,” he said. “Appeasing terrorists or rebranding terrorism as banditry only deepens the crisis.”
Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, lamented that women and children remain the most vulnerable victims of insecurity. She described the recent mass abductions in Papiri and Kamba as a national tragedy and a glaring failure of the state’s duty to protect lives and property.
