From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Minority Caucus of Nigeria’s House of Representatives has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Federal Government to rescue schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, while calling for an immediate overhaul of the country’s security architecture amid worsening insecurity across the nation.
The caucus, led by Minority Leader Fred Agbedi, made the demands on Wednesday during a media briefing at the National Assembly, where lawmakers sharply criticised the Federal Government’s handling of security challenges and accused the administration of prioritising politics over governance.
Agbedi said the worsening insecurity across the country had exposed deep failures in Nigeria’s security framework, insisting that the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu in 2025 was less about addressing the country’s security crisis and more about targeting perceived political opponents.
He urged the Federal Government to abandon what he described as propaganda-driven responses to insecurity and instead channel resources toward strengthening intelligence gathering, improving operational funding for security agencies, enhancing the welfare of frontline troops, and ending what he called the unchecked influence of political appointees in security matters.
The lawmakers also condemned the killing of Major-General Rabe Abubakar, who reportedly died while being held captive by terrorists in Katsina State, describing the development as a disturbing indication of the deteriorating security situation in the country.
According to Agbedi, the circumstances surrounding the senior military officer’s abduction and eventual death raise serious concerns about the growing boldness of terrorist groups operating in the country.
“The country deserves to know how terrorists now kill generals with such impunity. There must be a full and transparent investigation into how this happened and why security systems failed,” he said.
On the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, the Minority Caucus demanded the immediate launch of a special military operation aimed at securing the safe rescue of all victims within 72 hours.
The lawmakers insisted that repeated cases of mass abductions across the country had become unacceptable, warning that Nigerians were losing confidence in the government’s ability to protect lives and property.
The caucus said it was unacceptable for criminal groups to continue dictating terms while government responses remained limited to official statements without decisive action.
Beyond security concerns, the opposition lawmakers also reacted strongly to a recent judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Federal High Court, which reportedly ordered the deregistration of five political parties.
Agbedi described the ruling as a dangerous development capable of destabilising Nigeria’s democratic process, alleging that the judiciary was increasingly being used as a political weapon to weaken opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general election.
He characterised the judgment as “rascality taken too far” and called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to urgently intervene in what he described as conflicting judicial pronouncements on political party deregistration.
The caucus also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resist any attempt to compromise the democratic process, warning that the opposition would reject any effort to manipulate the 2027 elections before voting begins.
In a direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu, the lawmakers called for the immediate suspension of all political activities linked to the 2027 elections and urged the President to focus squarely on governance.
They specifically demanded the declaration of a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan to address the twin crises of insecurity and economic hardship confronting Nigerians.
“Politics must take the back seat when the country is bleeding. Government exists primarily for the security and welfare of the people, and securing Nigeria must now take precedence over political calculations,” Agbedi stated.
The caucus further urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the democratic process, assuring citizens that despite current tensions, the 2027 general election would ultimately be determined by the will of the people rather than political manipulation from the seat of power or compromised judicial processes.
The opposition lawmakers maintained that Nigeria’s survival as a democracy depends on restoring public confidence in governance, securing citizens against rising violence, and protecting institutions from political interference.
