A group of former federal lawmakers under the aegis of House to The Rescue, HTC has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s negotiation technique saying it’s igniting insecurity across Nigeria.
The group in a statement jointly signed by its zonal coordinators, Hon. Muhammed Musa Soba – North West, Hon. Zakari Mohammed – North Central, Hon. Olasupo Abiodun – South West, Hon. Sadiq Ibrahim – North East, Hon. Uko Nkole-South East and Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa-South South declaring that:
“House to the Rescue unequivocally condemns the Federal Government’s ongoing negotiations with bandits and criminal networks responsible for the wave of kidnappings tearing through Nigeria.
“At a time when citizens are crying out for protection, the government has chosen to sit at the same table with those who abduct children, violate women, terrorise communities, and undermine the authority of the Nigerian state. This is not leadership.
“This is abdication of responsibility. For weeks, Nigerians have endured new rounds of kidnappings in Kano, Kwara, Kebbi and other states.
“Families are traumatised, communities are helpless, yet the Federal Government’s response has been silence, excuses, and back-door concessions to violent groups. No functioning nation rewards criminality with dialogue.
“Negotiation With Bandits Has Never Worked Anywhere – Global History Warns Us Countries that tried this path paid dearly for it:
Colombia: Talks with FARC emboldened kidnappers, increased ransom operations, and strengthened the group militarily.
“Mexico: Back-channel contacts with cartels worsened kidnapping rates, empowered gangs, and created a security collapse from which Mexico still suffers.
“Afghanistan: Concessions to the Taliban-including prisoner swaps-allowed the group to regroup and eventually overthrow the entire government.
“Somalia: Engagement with warlords only deepened the conflict and gave militias space to expand. Mali: Deals with jihadist/bandit groups allowed them to spread violence into neighbouring countries.
“The global evidence is indisputable: negotiating with violent non-state actors leads to more violence, not peace.
“Nigeria is not an exception. Nigeria will not be the first country where bandit negotiations succeed. The FG is Legitimising Criminality and Endangering the Entire Nation By entering talks with bandits, the Federal Government is: Signaling weakness, incentivising more kidnappings, Giving criminals political relevance, Undermining security agencies, And destroying public trust in the state.
“This reckless approach has already created a dangerous business model where abductors take citizens and wait for government representatives to arrive with negotiations instead of force.
House to the Rescue Demands Immediate Action as follows:
1. Stop all negotiations and covert dealings with bandits immediately.
2. Launch a coordinated, intelligence-driven national security operation to rescue victims and dismantle kidnapping networks.
3. Publish a clear security strategy with timelines, responsibilities and accountability mechanisms.
4. Activate full National Assembly oversight to investigate all government officials and state actors involved in unauthorised contacts or negotiations with criminals.
Nigeria Cannot Continue Like This: “The government’s first duty is the protection of lives and property.
Any administration that chooses compromise with criminals over the safety of its people has lost moral authority to lead.
“Nigerians deserve a country where criminals fear the state – not a country where the state fears criminals.”