Without funding reform, clean recruitment, security crisis will worsen in Nigeria – Rep Betara

Former Chairman of the House Committee on Army, Hon. Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), has warned that Nigeria cannot win the fight against insurgency and banditry unless the country urgently fixes the way its security sector is funded and how military equipment is procured.

Betara, who spoke for the North-East during the House of Representatives special debate on national security, said chronic underfunding remains a major setback.

He noted that even though the defence sector received about ₦1.3 trillion in the 2025 budget, the spending pattern is still “disturbingly skewed”.

“The Air Force has no capital budget at all, only recurrent. Out of the ₦1.2 trillion recurrent allocation, ₦900 billion is overhead. How do you expect them to procure equipment, aircraft or technology?” he asked.

He added that many of the concerns raised during his time as chairman of the committee have still not been addressed.

“There are issues with military procurement, very serious issues, and if we do not address them, the insecurity challenge will continue,” he warned.

Also speaking, former Deputy Speaker Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase said no amount of funding will solve the insecurity problem if the recruitment process continues to admit criminals into the armed forces.

“There was a time Boko Haram members appeared on the Army recruitment list. Armed robbers and gang members were also found on lists for the Army and Police,” he revealed.

Wase urged lawmakers to stop recommending unqualified people for security jobs, warning that the wrong recruits put the nation at risk.

“If you put criminals in uniform, you cannot solve the insecurity problem. We must recommend people of integrity,” he said.

Representing the North-West, Hon. Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) said insecurity in the zone has deep structural and environmental roots, not just criminal behaviour.

“A purely kinetic or military response will not work. We must address land issues, climate pressures and rebuild trust in state institutions,” he argued.

Hon. Kafila Kogbara (APC, Lagos) added that state governments must take more responsibility for security.

“The President cannot be in all 36 states. Governors must do more,” she said.

She also pushed for a national safe-schools framework with compulsory security deployment in high-risk schools, CCTV coverage, early-warning sensors and better communication systems for security alerts.

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