The Nigerian Senate has called for an immediate and sweeping expansion of the country’s military manpower, urging the Armed Forces to recruit at least 100,000 additional personnel to address the escalating insecurity ravaging multiple regions.

The lawmakers also agreed to establish an ad-hoc committee to investigate the funding, expenditure, and effectiveness of the Safe School Programme—a multi-billion naira initiative widely criticised for failing to prevent mass abductions of schoolchildren.

The resolutions followed Monday’s abduction of 25 students from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State—an incident that lawmakers said further exposes the fragility of Nigeria’s security architecture.

In its formal position, the Senate “strongly condemns the heinous act and sympathises with the families of the victims,” stressing the need for urgent and coordinated action from security agencies.

Senators also expressed concern over the increasing number of military casualties, noting that the chamber “mourns the murder of Brigadier General Uba and other military personnel in Borno State.”

Armed Forces Overstretched as Insecurity Spreads

The Senate’s demand for large-scale recruitment comes amid growing apprehension that Nigeria’s military is severely overstretched and under-resourced, struggling to respond to simultaneous attacks across the North-West, North-East, and North-Central zones.

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has meanwhile ordered troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA to work “day and night” until all 25 abducted schoolgirls from Maga are rescued.

Shaibu issued the directive during a visit to the affected community, according to a video obtained by SaharaReporters.

Details of the Kebbi School Abduction

The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed that no fewer than 25 students were taken when heavily armed bandits attacked the school around 4:00 a.m. on Monday.

Police spokesperson CSP Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi reported that the attackers engaged officers on duty in a fierce gun battle before scaling the perimeter fence and abducting the schoolgirls from their hostel.

A staff member, Hassan Makuku, was killed during the attack, while another, Ali Shehu, sustained a gunshot injury to his right hand.

Local residents told SaharaReporters that the abductors “had not gone far” and urged both state and federal authorities to act swiftly to secure the students’ release.