The Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution urging urgent military and police reinforcement in Katsina State following a wave of bandit attacks that left at least 35 people dead within 24 hours, primarily in the Funtua Zone.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance under Order 42, sponsored by Senator Dandutse Mohammed (Katsina South), who drew lawmakers’ attention to the worsening security situation and called for swift federal intervention.
Presiding over the plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio admitted the motion for debate after it received overwhelming support from senators.
Moving the motion, Senator Dandutse said Katsina was deeply shaken by a recent ambush on personnel of the Nigerian Police Mobile Force in Guga, Bako Local Government Area, during which three policemen were killed and two others critically injured.
He further disclosed that coordinated attacks across the Funtua Zone had killed at least 35 people: 24 in Faskari, eight in Bakori, two in Funtua, and one in Kankara—all within less than 24 hours.
The senator warned that the attacks had left more than 50,000 farmlands uncultivated, threatening food security, agricultural productivity, and livelihoods in the region.
Senator Dandutse recalled that the Katsina State Governor, alongside elders from the Funtua Zone, had previously visited President Bola Tinubu to raise concerns over insecurity. “During the visit, the President pledged to establish a military barracks in Malumfashi to secure the zone,” he said.
He lamented that criminals continued to exploit porous corridors linking Katsina with neighbouring states, including the Zamachi–Kanduse and Magami–Asuwa axes in Kaduna State, Power Hill in Kankara, and the Zamfara corridor.
Warning against inaction, the lawmaker said failure to act could result in mass displacement, collapse of rural livelihoods, and long-term psychological trauma for residents. He called on communities to remain united and supportive of security efforts while resisting internal collaborators undermining national security.
The Senate resolution urged President Tinubu to fulfil his pledge to establish the Malumfashi military barracks, directed the Inspector-General of Police to equip the newly established police squadron with at least three Armoured Personnel Carriers, and called on the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and NEMA to provide immediate relief to affected families. A one-minute silence was observed in honour of those killed.
Seconding the motion, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibril said the Federal Government had already directed the military to intensify operations, particularly in the Funtua axis. While commending the military and Katsina State Government, he stressed the need for increased troop strength, improved technology, and decisive action.
“The military is doing well, the governor is doing well, but we need to do more. This is a very fertile agricultural area that can feed the nation. We cannot allow bandits to continue killing people daily,” Barau said.
Senator Tahir Monguno (Borno North) described the motion as timely, noting that insecurity in Katsina threatened national food security. He urged full implementation of plans to establish a military formation in the area.
Senator Titus Zam (Benue North) expressed sympathy for Katsina residents and noted that fresh killings had recently occurred in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue. He called for intensified military operations nationwide.
Senator Ahmed Wadada (Nasarawa West) cautioned against negotiating with bandits, calling such engagements counterproductive. He emphasised intelligence gathering and encouraged communities to provide timely and credible information to security agencies.
In his closing remarks, Senate President Akpabio acknowledged lawmakers’ frustration over persistent insecurity, assuring that the National Assembly would prioritise increased funding for the military in the 2026 budget. He stressed that Nigeria’s vast size makes it impractical to station troops in every community, advocating the use of modern technology, including drones, to secure hard-to-reach areas.
Akpabio also warned against collaboration with criminals, noting that intelligence leaks often undermine security operations. He assured senators that the chamber’s resolutions would be followed up with the executive to ensure both approvals and timely release of funds, expressing optimism that sustained efforts would eventually end banditry in Katsina.