Amid rising insecurity nationwide, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called on the government to halt ransom payments and amnesty deals for bandits, warning that such practices encourage more attacks.
He urged that ransom payments, amnesty agreements, and negotiations with bandits by both government agencies and private individuals be banned as a stricter approach to Nigeria’s escalating insecurity.
The appeal was made during a debate on national security at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
“Mr. Speaker, honourable colleagues, despite strong anti-kidnapping laws, including life imprisonment and the death penalty, these crimes persist because government entities allegedly negotiate with bandits and pay ransom”, Kalu said.
He added that amnesty deals and peace negotiations embolden armed groups and perpetuate violence. “Patterns across Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto show staged ceremonies where captives are released and weapons surrendered, only for attacks to resume shortly after”, he noted.
Kalu proposed that legislation should ban unstructured amnesty negotiations and ransom payments, while mandating strict enforcement of criminal justice.
He also highlighted chronic underfunding of the Nigerian Police Force as a major challenge, citing low budget allocations, delayed disbursements, unaccounted donations, and lack of transparent audits.
“These deficiencies result in operational paralysis, poor planning, and inefficiency. The legislative solution is to mandate sustained funding, rigorous record-keeping, and auditing of all police funds, including donations”, he said.
On policing structure, Kalu stressed the need for decentralisation. “The centralised federal policing model cannot meet the localised security needs of 36 states and 774 LGAs”.
“Whether through state police, community policing, or local government policing, decentralisation is essential. Some suggest amending Section 214 of the Constitution, while others propose alternative approaches”, he added.
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