Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase, on Wednesday raised fresh concerns over alleged infiltration of Nigeria’s security institutions, claiming that names linked to Boko Haram members were once discovered during an Army recruitment exercise.
Wase made the disclosure during a special plenary session convened by the House to assess the worsening national security situation.
He said the former Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Muktar Betara, could corroborate the incident, which he described as a troubling sign of systemic failure in recruitment procedures.
According to him, the lapses have enabled individuals with criminal backgrounds to slip into the security forces, further weakening efforts to combat terrorism and banditry.
Wase, who emotionally recounted losing both a brother and a cousin to terrorists, said such infiltration explains why armed groups continue to operate with ease across the country.
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He added that insecurity has grown so severe that his surviving younger brother pleaded with him to help secure a relocation from their community.
Recounting the alleged recruitment incident, Wase said: “My brother, former chairman of defense, and my very good friend, Betara, will bear with me that we have moments in when in the process of recruitment, we found in the list names of criminals. Boko Haram members were found in the list of Army.
“There has to be a thorough way of ensuring that when we are recruiting, those of us who are politicians should recommend people of good character and integrity. That’s the only way we can solve this problem. You find a criminal in the system, and before you know it, whatever you do, you cannot have the problem resolved. So we must change the system and way of our recruitment.
“Yes, as politicians, it’s good to recommend. This is what we are here for. But when you are recommending, please recommend people of integrity, people that will meet standards and ensure that they give the best access to our country.”
Wase also cautioned that Nigeria’s security woes persist partly because certain individuals are benefitting from the instability, allowing criminals to move in convoys and act without restraint.
He further criticised the politicisation of indigeneship and citizenship, describing it as a major fault line damaging national cohesion and calling for constitutional reforms to address the issue.
Citing the scale of violence, Wase noted that kidnapping has become widespread, with ransom payments reportedly reaching N5 billion in a single year, while Boko Haram-related attacks have claimed more than 30,000 lives.
He urged lawmakers to confront the crisis comprehensively, warning that the magnitude of insecurity facing the nation is “more dangerous than many realise” and requires swift, coordinated solutions.
