The House of Representatives on Wednesday condemned the Federal Government for negotiating with bandits to secure the release of 24 students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State.
The lawmakers, under the coalition “House to the Rescue,” said the government’s engagement with kidnappers, disclosed by President Bola Tinubu’s aide, Mr Bayo Onanuga, amounted to a betrayal of Nigerians and undermined national security.
The condemnation followed a special plenary session on Tuesday, during which members decried rising insecurity and the daily fear faced by citizens as kidnappers and bandits operate with seeming impunity.
In a 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, violate women, terrorise communities, and undermine the authority of the Nigerian state.”
The lawmakers criticised Tinubu’s approach to security, saying, “This is not leadership. This is an abdication of responsibility.”
They added, “In recent weeks, Nigerians had endured fresh kidnappings in Kano, Kwara, Kebbi and other states, while communities remained vulnerable and traumatised. Instead of decisive action, they said, the Federal Government had offered “silence, excuses, and back-door concessions to violent groups.
“No functioning nation rewards criminality with dialogue. Negotiation with bandits has never worked anywhere.”
Citing international examples, the lawmakers warned that negotiations with violent non-state actors had failed elsewhere.
Citing examples from around the world, the lawmakers noted that in Colombia, “Talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces emboldened kidnappers, increased ransom operations, and strengthened the group militarily.”
They added that in Mexico, “back-channel contacts with cartels worsened kidnapping rates, empowered gangs, and created a security collapse from which Mexico still suffers.”
In Afghanistan, they argued that concessions to the Taliban, “including prisoner swaps—allowed the group to regroup and eventually overthrow the entire government.”
They further warned that in Somalia, “Engagement with warlords only deepened the conflict and gave militias space to expand,” while in Mali, “deals with jihadist/bandit groups allowed them to spread violence into neighbouring countries.”
The lawmakers cautioned the Federal Government that “Negotiating with violent non-state actors leads to more violence, not peace. Nigeria is not an exception.”
The House members argued that engaging bandits in dialogue legitimises criminality, encourages further kidnappings, and erodes public trust in security agencies.
They added that this approach had created “a dangerous business model where abductors take citizens and wait for government representatives to arrive with negotiations instead of force.”
The lawmakers 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 officials involved in unauthorised talks with criminals.
They said the approach created “a dangerous business model where abductors take citizens and wait for government representatives to negotiate instead of facing law enforcement.”
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).
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