In a bold and sweeping response to Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, the Senate on Wednesday officially began the process to amend the country’s Terrorism Act a move that redefines kidnapping and related banditry as acts of terrorism. The legislators also proposed the imposition of the death penalty on convicted offenders under the revised law.
Senators passed the amendment bill through first reading during plenary, following a resolution triggered by intense debate over rising mass abductions and violent bandit attacks across the country. The bill was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
Lawmakers cited the alarming increase in kidnappings, attacks on schools, churches and ordinary communities, as well as disruptions to public peace and security. According to the Senate, the frequency and brutality of these crimes amount to “terrorist acts” requiring stronger legal deterrence.
During the plenary, a motion titled “Urgent Need to Address Escalating Insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States and Strengthen National Security Frameworks” was moved by Senator Ashiru Oyelola Yisa (Kwara South). The motion received wide support, prompting the directive for amendments to the Terrorism Act.
The Senate has mandated the Senate Leader to formally draft and table the amendment bill “in the shortest possible time.”
Beyond the amendment to the Terrorism Act, the Senate took additional security-related decisions. It resolved to reorganize its security oversight: dissolving the Committees on National Security & Intelligence and the Navy Committee, and reassigning oversight to relevant defence and interior committees. It also called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s firearms laws and urged regulation to allow “controlled arming” of responsible citizens under strict safeguards.
Moreover, lawmakers directed the creation of a new Joint Task Force (JTF) and forward operating bases along vulnerable corridors such as the Kwara–Kogi axis to strengthen ground response capabilities.
Supporters of the amendment including security analysts and many lawmakers believe the new law could serve as a powerful deterrent against kidnappers and bandits. They argue that Nigeria’s existing penal framework has been too weak to discourage repeated mass abductions and violent raids.
However, critics and human rights advocates warn that the draft’s emphasis on the death penalty raises serious concerns over due process, potential miscarriages of justice, and the capacity of the justice system to handle complex terrorism-related trials fairly. Some urge that improving intelligence, police capacity, and community-based prevention should accompany any legal reforms.
With first reading completed, the proposed amendments will now undergo committee scrutiny, detailed clause-by-clause review, public hearings, and eventual plenary votes. If passed and signed into law, the amended Terrorism Act could redefine Nigeria’s approach to banditry, kidnapping, and domestic terror significantly raising the stakes for armed criminals.
As the nation watches, many hope the reforms will translate into tangible security improvements, safer communities, and a crackdown on the wave of kidnappings that have disrupted lives across multiple states.
