Ahmed Lawan, the senator representing Yobe North Senatorial District, has urged the Federal Government to improve funding for Nigeria’s security agencies and ensure that approved resources reach them without delay.
He raised the concern during plenary on Thursday, the 12th of March, 2026, that troops battling criminal groups across the country cannot perform effectively without the right tools and support.
“Our armed forces and our security agencies could not get the basic resources to deal with the insecurity. They are not magicians; there is hardly anything anyone could do if you’re not properly armed to face these criminals,” he said.
The lawmaker appealed to Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the government to make sure that funds allocated to the military are released on time so that security operations can continue without setbacks.
“So Mr. President, working with the government, needs to look at funding and the release of resources to our armed forces in good time. Otherwise, our soldiers are killed,” Lawan stated.
He pointed out that both the president and the National Assembly of Nigeria have shown commitment to strengthening the military through increased funding, but suggested that administrative delays may be slowing the release of the resources.
“I believe that the president himself has done so much while supporting and giving more resources, and this National Assembly has supported that, but somewhere along the line the resources are not released, and I believe that this is a major issue towards the military,” he added.
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Lawan said lawmakers must raise their voices for soldiers who may not be able to publicly call for better conditions.
“Even though they are not supposed to be talking, we are supposed to talk on their behalf,” he said.
He warned that routine tributes to fallen personnel will not fix the problem if practical steps are not taken.
“My distinguished colleagues, we may be standing here for one-minute silence every day, but that won’t solve the problem. In fact, we will be happier if we consider other means and other ways of enabling our armed forces and security agencies,” Lawan said.
He called for immediate action to strengthen the country’s security structure and ensure that personnel on the frontlines have the equipment and backing needed to confront criminal groups nationwide.