The Nigerian Senate has adopted comprehensive security resolutions, officially designating kidnapping and banditry as acts of terrorism and approving the maximum death penalty for all kidnapping-related offences. These landmark decisions, announced after intense debate during plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, underscore the legislature's escalating alarm over the surge in insecurity across the country.

A core resolution states that all laws relating to kidnapping will henceforth be classified as terrorism, carrying a maximum death penalty without the option of a fine or judicial discretion. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has been directed to introduce a formal amendment bill in the shortest possible time to implement this. Former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, further advocated for governors to courageously sign death warrants for convicted kidnappers, emphasizing the severity of the crime.

Beyond legal reclassification, lawmakers approved the creation of a new Joint Task Force (JTF) to strengthen security across critical corridors. Specifically, a JTF is planned for the Kwara–Kogi axis, with Forward Operating Bases to be established in Eruku, Babanla, Oke-Ero, Isanlu in Kwara, and Wasagu in Kebbi State. The Senate also urged the Federal Government to reinforce local vigilante groups and review Nigeria’s firearm laws to allow responsible citizens to own guns for self-defence, aligning with practices in over 175 countries worldwide.

A major focus of the resolutions involves addressing operational failures and intelligence gaps. The Senate mandated a full investigation into the alarming withdrawal of troops from a school in Kebbi State just hours before a bandit attack, and also a probe into the circular concerning the killing of Brigadier-General M. Uba in Maiduguri. All Senate security committees are to report back within two weeks. Senator Lola Ashiru, who moved the initial motion, expressed concern that internal collaborators, often driven by economic and political desperation, aid criminal groups with information, logistics, and escape routes, exacerbating insecurity. Senator Sani Musa questioned the rescue of abductees without resistance, raising suspicions of ransom payments and urging the use of modern technology by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Communications to track and arrest terrorists. Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe accused the government of not being transparent about security challenges, citing communities paying taxes to terrorists, and called for accountability for troop withdrawal.

The impact of escalating insecurity was highlighted by several senators. Senator Abdul Ningi noted that kidnapping has become a