Hon. Muhammad Bello El-Rufai representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, has raised concerns over what he described as inconsistent justice in high-profile security cases in Nigeria. Speaking during plenary on Thursday, he questioned why a convicted Boko Haram member, Hussaini Ismail, received a 20-year sentence, while IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was handed a life sentence just a week earlier.
“I don’t understand why one terrorist gets 20 years and the other gets life. There’s this idea that justice is served differently, and it affects the problem,” El-Rufai said, highlighting the public perception that the judicial system treats groups and regions unequally.
The lawmaker, who apologized for arriving late due to ill health, emphasized that such disparities could worsen Nigeria’s already fragile security situation. He supported President Bola Tinubu’s recent security plan but warned that execution, rather than mere announcements, is crucial.
El-Rufai also called for improved salaries and welfare for police and military personnel, noting that Nigeria’s policing ratio—one officer to 600 citizens—is well below the UN recommendation of 1:400. He reiterated his advocacy for decentralized, community-based policing, suggesting that traditional leaders should play a role in security operations, and urged the National Assembly to accelerate constitutional reforms to introduce state police.
Addressing the root causes of insecurity, El-Rufai criticized the neglect of northern Nigerian youth, citing unemployment, lack of skills, and poor education as factors driving crime and radicalization. He urged the House to ensure transparent, digitized recruitment into security agencies to attract competent and motivated young Nigerians.
“We rely on you, Mr. Speaker, and the constitutional review committee. Roll out state police in this country,” he concluded, calling for urgent reforms to restore public trust in Nigeria’s security system.
