Crime, Insecurity, and the Senate: Akpabio’s Controversial Take on a Global Problem

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday witnessed intense deliberations over the country’s deteriorating security landscape as lawmakers addressed recent incidents of homicide and kidnapping across several states, including the attack on a school in Kebbi State. During the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio made a remark that has since sparked widespread discussion.

Akpabio, responding to calls for an overhaul of the national security architecture, stated that crime exists in every society, adding that even developed nations like the United States record criminal incidents daily. His comment, meant to discourage politicizing security failures, has been criticized by some Nigerians who argue that it downplays the severity of the country’s crisis, where violent attacks and abductions occur with alarming frequency.

The Senate’s debate was triggered by the recent abduction in Kebbi State that left a vice principal dead and several students missing. Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who moved the motion, urged the Federal Government to authorize the immediate recruitment of 100,000 military personnel, citing overstretched security forces and the rising vulnerability of soft targets, including schools.

Akpabio supported the call, acknowledging that insecurity has escalated beyond the capacity of existing security agencies. He emphasized that criminals are increasingly emboldened, particularly in their attacks on educational institutions and rural communities.

A major point of concern during the session was the management of funds allocated to the Safe School Initiative. Lawmakers demanded a comprehensive investigation into how the funds intended to secure educational facilities—were utilized, given the continued wave of school attacks in northern Nigeria. Several senators described the handling of the funds as suspicious, with Oshiomhole referring to the alleged “commercialisation of national security.”

While Akpabio’s statement may be grounded in the universal reality of crime, many argue that Nigeria’s challenges involve organized criminal networks that threaten national stability, making the comparison insufficient in addressing citizens’ fears. The Senate’s resolutions including calls for more troops, improved technology, and an audit of previous security allocations reflect a push for concrete solutions even as the debate highlights differing perspectives on the nation’s insecurity crisis.