The Senate has urged the Federal Government to immediately halt its policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating repentant Boko Haram members into society, demanding instead that all perpetrators of terrorism and banditry face the full wrath of the law.
The Nigerian Senate passed the resolution. The debate was sparked by a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (Katsina Central) regarding the killing of retired Major General Rabiu Abubakar, with the specific prayer to halt the rehabilitation policy introduced by Senator Joseph Igiagbe Ikpea (Edo Central) and seconded by Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North).
​The Upper Chamber’s resolution reached on Tuesday, followed a motion of urgent national importance, reflecting growing legislative frustration over the nation’s security strategy. Lawmakers argued that releasing former insurgents back into communities while millions of victims remain displaced sends the wrong signal and undermines justice.
An official call to end the “Operation Safe Corridor” initiative and similar deradicalization programs for active combatants. A directive to security agencies to prioritize the arrest, investigation, and rigorous prosecution of all individuals linked to terrorism and banditry.
A demand that state resources be redirected from rehabilitating perpetrators to compensating, resettling, and rebuilding the lives of displaced victims.
​During the debate, senators expressed concern that the current policy soft-pedals on violent criminals, creating a sense of impunity. They emphasized that true healing and national security can only be achieved when justice is served transparently through the legal system.
