A cross-party group of federal lawmakers has publicly rebuked the Federal Government for engaging in negotiations with bandits following the kidnapping of 24 students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
The criticism came from “House to the Rescue,” a coalition of House of Representatives members who accused the government of betraying public trust after presidential aide Bayo Onanuga revealed that discussions had taken place with the kidnappers.
In a joint statement signed by representatives from all six geopolitical zones—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)—the coalition expressed strong opposition to the government’s approach.
“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,” the statement read. “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’ statement followed a heated special plenary session on Tuesday, during which members voiced frustration over escalating kidnapping incidents and the atmosphere of fear gripping communities nationwide.
The coalition directly challenged President Bola Tinubu’s management of the security crisis, stating: “This is not leadership. This is an abdication of responsibility.”
They cited recent abductions in Kano, Kwara, Kebbi and other states, arguing that Nigerians remain vulnerable while the government responds with “silence, excuses, and back-door concessions to violent groups.”
“No functioning nation rewards criminality with dialogue. Negotiation with bandits has never worked anywhere,” the coalition declared.
To support their position, the lawmakers referenced international cases where negotiations with armed groups had failed. They pointed to Colombia, where they claimed talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces “emboldened kidnappers, increased ransom operations, and strengthened the group militarily.”
In Mexico, they said “back-channel contacts with cartels worsened kidnapping rates, empowered gangs, and created a security collapse from which Mexico still suffers.”
The group also mentioned Afghanistan, where concessions to the Taliban “including prisoner swaps, allowed the group to regroup and eventually overthrow the entire government.”
Additional examples included Somalia, where “Engagement with warlords only deepened the conflict and gave militias space to expand,” and Mali, where “deals with jihadist/bandit groups allowed them to spread violence into neighbouring countries.”
The coalition warned that Nigeria risks following a similar trajectory by treating armed groups as legitimate negotiating partners. They argued that such engagement validates criminal activity, encourages more kidnappings, and erodes public confidence in the nation’s security apparatus.
According to the lawmakers, this strategy has created “a dangerous business model where abductors take citizens and wait for government representatives to arrive with negotiations instead of force.”
The coalition issued several demands: immediate cessation of all negotiations with bandits, deployment of intelligence-driven operations to rescue victims, establishment of a transparent and accountable national security strategy, and full National Assembly oversight of any official involved in unauthorized discussions with criminal organizations.
