*Says Boko Haram Members, Armed Robbers Found On Army, Police Recruitment Lists

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Idris Wase, made a passionate plea during a special plenary session on Wednesday, urging President Bola Tinubu to reconsider his directive withdrawing police protection from Very Important Persons (VIPs). Wase warned that the move could exacerbate Nigeria’s escalating kidnapping crisis while dropping a bombshell revelation about known criminals, including Boko Haram members and armed robbers, infiltrating recruitment lists for the Nigerian Army and Police.

Speaking amid a heated debate on the nation’s worsening security challenges, Wase described the infiltration as a “grave threat to national stability.” He insisted the scandal was not mere rumor but verifiable, pointing to his colleague, Hon. Muktar Betara—former Chairman of the House Committee on Defence and now Chairman of the Committee on the Federal Capital Territory—as a key witness. “There were recruitment exercises where names of known Boko Haram members appeared on the shortlist. Armed robbers and other criminals were also found among those cleared for the Army and Police,” Wase stated, cautioning public officials against “indiscriminate endorsements that help unfit candidates slip into the security services.”

The Plateau lawmaker, representing a region ravaged by violence, shared deeply personal losses to underscore the crisis’s human toll. He recounted the deaths of his brother, cousin, and nephew in terrorist attacks and revealed a heartbreaking message from his younger brother in their violence-plagued community, who begged to be relocated for safety. Wase highlighted that the North Central zone alone shoulders “about 52 per cent” of Nigeria’s insecurity burden, painting a grim picture of daily kidnappings and banditry.

Turning to President Tinubu’s VIP protection order, Wase argued it was well-intentioned but poorly timed and categorized. “If we’re not careful, [it] will lead to more kidnappings,” he cautioned, citing a chilling video of bandits boasting about targeting the President and other politicians. “I saw… a video of one of the kidnappers, or bandits, boasting that they are going to get the head of Mr. President; they are going after politicians, and these people are all unrepentant.”

@thenigerialawyer“Bandits Boasting They Are Going After Mr. President, Politicians” — Fmr Deputy Speaker Urges Tinubu To Reconsider VIP Protection Withdrawal♬ original sound – TheNigeriaLawyer

Wase drew stark comparisons between Nigeria’s security infrastructure and that of other nations, noting that Egypt—a country with a population under 100 million—employs over five million police officers. In contrast, he lamented, “Here in Nigeria, you go to communities, you would traverse more than 20 or 30 kilometres, and you cannot get even a police station to report an issue.” He emphasized that protection is not a VIP privilege but essential for public safety, adding, “It’s not about the VIPs. When you give criminals police to guard them, this is where I thought we should have reason. They withdraw that order that has been given.”

The lawmaker appreciated the President’s efforts but stressed urgency: “This one has to be done immediately if we mean to solve this problem.” He called for a clear categorization of protected individuals to avert further chaos, warning that without it, the House would soon face renewed pleas over kidnappings. “I don’t think there’s anybody that will say, I can travel with my eyes open between here and Jos. Once it is 6pm, to get to Keffi, I’m scared, because I know what is happening.”

Wase also spotlighted the economic devastation, revealing that bandits had collected over N5 billion in ransoms in a single year, alongside more than 30,000 fatalities from banditry, Boko Haram insurgency, and related violence. “Kidnapping happens virtually every day… In one year alone, within the Boko Haram threshold, what we lost is more than 30,000 people that were killed in the process of this banditry and whatever,” he said.

Representing voices from the North and North Central, Wase affirmed that politicians and citizens alike are contributing from their pockets to support security efforts. “Those of us from the North here, and North Central, the heat is more than what you can think of. There is no politician, or person, or public office that has integrity, that is not contributing… We have to support the system, so that we will have peace in our society, but the peace is not yet gotten, and it’s far from it.”

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