The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called on the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on insecurity following the worsening wave of kidnappings, banditry, and violent attacks across Nigeria, warning that the country’s security architecture is under severe strain despite massive budgetary allocations to defence.
The group said the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar in bandits’ captivity represents a tragic symbol of Nigeria’s deepening security crisis and the expanding reach of criminal networks across the country, where even highly placed former military officers are no longer safe.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, CISLAC expressed grave concern over the persistent deterioration of security conditions despite trillions of naira committed annually to defence and internal security operations.
Rafsanjani said the incident underscores a broader national failure to effectively contain violent criminality, noting that Nigeria continues to lose military officers, security personnel, traditional rulers, community leaders, and ordinary citizens to kidnapping gangs and armed groups operating with increasing boldness.
“The death of a retired Major General in captivity is not only a personal tragedy but a national one that reflects the alarming state of insecurity in the country. If a decorated military officer who dedicated his life to defending Nigeria can fall victim to bandits, then ordinary Nigerians face even greater risk,” he said.
He warned that the situation reflects a dangerous normalisation of insecurity, where no category of citizen is immune from attack, adding that the development should concern all political leaders.
Rafsanjani also expressed alarm over the rising frequency of mass abductions, particularly targeting schoolchildren and rural communities, warning that such incidents are eroding public confidence and discouraging school attendance in affected regions.
Citing an Amnesty International report released in April 2026, he noted that at least 1,100 people were abducted between January and April 2026 in northern Nigeria, especially in rural communities and internally displaced persons’ camps, with figures reportedly increasing following more recent mass kidnappings.
He further referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Democracy Day address on June 12, in which the Federal Government disclosed a record allocation of N5.41 trillion to defence and security in the 2026 budget, describing it as the largest in Nigeria’s history. The President also highlighted ongoing security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, France, and other European countries, as well as military operations that reportedly degraded an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State.
However, CISLAC argued that despite these investments and operational claims, insecurity continues to worsen across several parts of the country, raising serious questions about efficiency, coordination, and accountability within the security sector.
Rafsanjani called for urgent and decisive action to address what he described as an “unacceptable level” of violent attacks and abductions, warning that governance loses meaning when citizens cannot be guaranteed safety.
He also raised concerns over systemic weaknesses, including poor intelligence coordination, operational inefficiencies, and alleged corruption within parts of the security architecture, questioning how criminal groups continue to operate freely despite the presence of multiple intelligence agencies such as the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Defence Intelligence Agency.
According to him, there is an urgent need to strengthen intelligence gathering, enhance inter-agency collaboration, and dismantle networks enabling criminal operations across the country.
CISLAC also called for full transparency and accountability in security expenditure, including a comprehensive audit of defence spending and security votes at both federal and state levels, insisting that huge budgetary allocations must translate into measurable improvements in national security.
The organisation further urged improved welfare, training, equipment, and operational capacity for security personnel, stressing the importance of proactive and intelligence-led policing and military operations.
While acknowledging ongoing discussions around state policing, Rafsanjani cautioned that any such reform must be backed by strong legal and accountability frameworks to prevent abuse.
He criticised political leaders for prioritising electoral politics over urgent security concerns, warning that governance cannot succeed without the protection of lives and property.
CISLAC also urged the National Assembly to intensify oversight of security institutions and ensure prudent utilisation of allocated resources, while reiterating its call for comprehensive security sector reforms, stronger intelligence coordination, enhanced community engagement, and sustained political will to restore peace and stability across Nigeria.
