The Senate on Tuesday urged President Bola Tinubu to approve the recruitment of 100,000 fresh military personnel to confront insurgency, banditry and the rising wave of school abductions across the country.

Lawmakers also demanded a full investigation into the Safe School Programme, questioning how funds allocated to the initiative were spent despite repeated attacks on educational institutions.

Their concerns were provoked by the attack on Government Girls’ Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where gunmen reportedly killed a vice principal and abducted 25 students.

The debate followed additional prayers raised by Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) during plenary, which triggered a heated session on Nigeria’s worsening security situation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio presided over the sitting and later moved the chamber into a closed-door meeting to discuss classified details.

Oshiomhole, while leading the call for massive recruitment and a security audit, warned that the scale of insecurity required a strategic expansion of the armed forces.

He also demanded answers on the Safe School funds.

Oshiomhole pressed further for a Senate-led probe and enhanced technological capacity for security agencies.

“Again, I urge the FG and the relevant Senate committees to probe the funds appropriated for the Safe School Programme.

“I call on the military to deploy the use of technology and tracking devices to be able to track these criminals,” he urged.

His additional prayer was unanimously seconded and adopted by lawmakers across party lines.

Reacting, Senate President Godswill Akpabio endorsed the call for 100,000 new troops and supported the probe of the Safe School Programme.

Akpabio also cautioned against politicising insecurity. He offered condolences to the victims of the Maga school attack.

But crime is crime. It doesn’t matter under which administration it takes place. Even the almighty America has crime daily.

All lives matter. May the souls of our fellow Nigerians and the vice principal who died in the course of protecting the students rest in peace.”

Despite adopting the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015, Nigeria has continued to suffer a decade-long pattern of attacks on schools.

The policy, endorsed by the Federal Government, outlines measures to protect educational spaces during armed conflict.

UNICEF has repeatedly urged full implementation of the declaration, stressing the need for safe and inclusive learning environments.

Gunmen invaded the Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in the early hours of Monday, killing a vice principal and abducting multiple students.

A school guard was also injured during the attack. Security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the military, have since launched a search-and-rescue operation.

The debate in the Senate also touched on the country’s current defence capabilities.

According to Global Firepower’s 2022 ranking, Nigeria retained its 35th position out of 142 countries and is rated the third most powerful military in Africa.

The report places Nigeria’s total active personnel at 135,000, with total military personnel at 215,000 and no reserve component.

The assessment also lists Nigeria’s hardware inventory: 140 aircraft, 376 tanks, 2,019 armoured vehicles, 349 towed artillery units and 47 rocket projectors, among others.

Despite these numbers, senators argued that the gap between capacity and operational reality remains wide, making the case for fresh recruitment and better safeguarding of schools across conflict-prone regions.

The National Association of Nigerian Students has condemned the dawn attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where gunmen killed the Vice Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducted 25 female students.

In a statement released on Tuesday by NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, described the tragedy, which occurred on International Students’ Day, as a devastating blow to the student community.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is deeply shattered and inconsolably heartbroken by the devastating news of the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where armed assailants invaded the school premises at dawn, brutally killed the Vice Principal, Mr. Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducted 25 innocent female students,” the association said.

The body said the incident ruined the celebrations planned for the 2025 International Students’ Day.

The United Nations Children’s Fund has strongly condemned the reported attack on a Government Girls’ School in the Maga community of Kebbi State, North-West Nigeria, which resulted in the death of the school’s Vice-Principal and the reported abduction of 25 students.

This was contained in a statement by Susan Akila, UNICEF Nigeria’s Communications Specialist, made available to journalists on Tuesday.

According to the statement: ‘This tragic incident is yet another stark reminder of the urgent need to protect children, schools, and the personnel they rely on to learn safely.’

“We stand with the affected community at this difficult time. Our heartfelt condolences go to those who have lost loved ones, and we wish a full recovery for those injured.

“In 2015, the Nigerian government endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, which outlines concrete steps to safeguard the civilian nature of schools and universities to ensure students’ safe access to education during conflict.

“UNICEF calls on all relevant stakeholders to continue efforts to implement the Safe Schools Declaration in Nigeria.

It was stated that UNICEF is working with government partners, civil society, and communities to strengthen child protection systems and promote safe and inclusive learning environments nationwide.