Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, on Wednesday raised fresh concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s security recruitment processes, revealing that Boko Haram members and armed robbers were once discovered among shortlisted candidates for the Army and Police.
Wase, who made the disclosure during a special plenary session of the House dedicated to the country’s worsening security crisis, said the infiltration posed a severe danger to national stability.
According to him, the alarming discovery was not speculative.
He insisted that a former Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, now Chairman of the Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Muktar Betara, could verify the claim.
“There were recruitment exercises where names of known Boko Haram members appeared on the shortlist. Armed robbers and other criminals were also found among those cleared for the Army and Police,” Wase said.
He warned that indiscriminate endorsements by public officials often enable unfit and dangerous individuals to slip into the security services.
The Plateau lawmaker, who emotionally recounted losing a brother, cousin and nephew to terrorist attacks, lamented that the North Central region bears “about 52 per cent” of Nigeria’s security burden.
He narrated how his younger brother recently pleaded to be relocated from their community due to relentless violence.
Wase also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider his directive withdrawing police protection from Very Important Persons (VIPs), warning that the decision could trigger a spike in kidnappings.
“If we are not careful, there will be more kidnappings,” he cautioned, noting that a circulating video showed bandits threatening to target the President and other politicians.
He argued that removing police personnel from VIPs without strengthening community policing structures was counterproductive.
Comparing Nigeria with other countries, Wase said Egypt, with a population of less than 100 million, boasts over five million police officers—while several Nigerian communities lack a single police station.
“In Nigeria, you would travel 20 to 30 kilometres without seeing a police station,” he said.
He added that the government must urgently overhaul recruitment, expand policing capacity and reverse policies that could embolden criminals.
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