By Ademola Adekusibe
November 27, 2025
A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, on Wednesday warned that bandits have begun issuing threats to abduct members of the National Assembly, urging President Bola Tinubu to reconsider his directive withdrawing police operatives attached to Very Important Personalities.
Wase issued the warning during the resumed debate on national security in the lower chamber, noting that lawmakers have become increasingly vulnerable under the new security arrangement. He said the President must clearly spell out the categorization of VIPs, recalling that there had been instances where suspected Boko Haram members infiltrated recruitment lists of security agencies.
President Tinubu had on Sunday ordered the withdrawal of police escorts attached to VIPs during a security meeting in Abuja attended by Service Chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services. Under the new directive, police personnel previously assigned to VIP protection are to return to their bases, while individuals requiring armed escorts must now request them from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The Presidency explained that the decision aims to strengthen police presence in communities, especially remote areas where stations are understaffed and residents remain exposed to attacks.
Nigeria continues to face recurring cases of mass abductions. More than 1,500 schoolchildren have been kidnapped since the 2014 Chibok attack, and the crisis persists. On Friday, at least 300 children and staff were taken from St Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Niger State, with more than 250 still missing, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The attack was the third mass abduction in a single week, prompting President Tinubu to cancel his planned attendance at the G20 Summit in South Africa. In a separate incident, 24 schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi State have been released after an attack that left two staff members dead.
Security agencies have not yet disclosed the circumstances surrounding the latest releases, while concerns continue to mount over the rising frequency of abductions across the country.
