Reps Raise Alarm Over Rising Boko Haram Attacks, Looting of Military Assets

The House of Representatives has raised serious concerns over the escalating wave of Boko Haram attacks on military formations and the looting of military equipment allegedly worth trillions of naira, warning that failure to act could erode public trust in the government and deepen national insecurity.

During plenary on Monday, lawmakers debated a motion presented by Rep. Ahmed Satomi (APC, Borno), which focused on the recent fire outbreak at the 127 Battalion armoury in Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, as well as a series of coordinated attacks on military bases across Borno and Yobe States.

Rep. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) expressed alarm over the scale of weapon losses to insurgents, despite sustained budgetary allocations to Nigeria’s security sector. “The pictures I saw from Giwa Barracks frightened me,” Gagdi said. “If care is not taken, Nigerians will soon begin to fight us the way they fight criminals and Boko Haram.”

He called for a shift from symbolic motions to concrete accountability measures, including public hearings involving top military officials. “We must summon these agencies to explain their failures openly,” Gagdi said, warning that continued negligence could push the country toward anarchy.

Leading the debate, Satomi described the attacks as a direct threat to national security, emphasizing that the weakening of military assets leaves communities defenseless. “These attacks are not only undermining our military strength but also exposing civilian populations to grave danger,” he said.

Other lawmakers echoed his concerns. Rep. Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno) revealed that Boko Haram has begun using sophisticated, weaponized drones to attack both military and civilian targets. “In Chibok, 14 farmers were butchered. In Izge, a captain and a senior officer were killed. Boko Haram is now better equipped than the Nigerian military,” he claimed.

Rep. Zainab Gimba (APC, Borno) highlighted a deadly attack on a multinational joint task force base in Kala Balge where more than 20 soldiers were reportedly killed. She said the frequency and intensity of insurgent attacks on her constituents have sharply increased.

Rep. Lawan Shettima Ali (APC, Yobe) raised concerns about a possible foreign link to the insurgents’ growing arsenal. “The firepower Boko Haram wields now suggests external support. We must investigate the source of this capability,” he stated.

The lawmakers urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate and decisive steps to restore public confidence, including holding military and security leaders accountable for operational lapses.

As attacks mount and military vulnerabilities are laid bare, the House warned that without urgent intervention, public backlash could intensify and deepen disillusionment with Nigeria’s democratic institutions.