Senator Henry Seriake Dickson raises alarm over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and criticises Senate moves to commend President Tinubu. Read full details below.
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The Senate was thrown into tension on Wednesday as former Bayelsa State Governor and serving lawmaker, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, delivered one of the boldest warnings yet on Nigeria’s rapidly worsening security crisis.
Speaking during a heated debate on the spate of killings, mass abductions, and the recent murder of a Brigadier-General, Dickson declared that Nigeria is “under attack” and that the situation has crossed the threshold of a national emergency.
Dickson began by reminding Senate President Godswill Akpabio that he had privately raised concerns with him days earlier about the urgency of addressing the escalating crisis. According to him, the scale of terrorists’ operations — simultaneous attacks across states, displacement of citizens, destruction of communities, and the killing of senior military officers — mirrors conditions “even nations at war do not experience.”
The Senator sharply disagreed with lawmakers who pushed for a motion commending President Bola Tinubu for efforts on security.
He described the motion as “ill-timed, insensitive, provocative and completely disconnected from reality,” insisting that the President must be told the unfiltered truth, not shielded with political flattery.
“If things were going well, we would not be where we are today,” Dickson said, warning that even senators supporting the commendation cannot visit their own districts because terrorists have taken over entire communities and imposed taxes on citizens.
Tension rose as the Senate President interrupted Dickson mid-speech.
Dickson later accused Akpabio of repeatedly preventing him from contributing to critical national debates.
He stressed that the Senate President is merely “first among equals,” not a boss who dictates who speaks or what views are acceptable.
“I won’t give in to harassment. Majority may have their way, but minority must have their say,” he stated.
The former governor warned that Nigeria’s survival is at stake, citing:
-Killing of soldiers and officers
-Mass kidnappings of students
-Entire districts under terrorist control
-A growing underground war economy
-Huge defence budgets with little visible result
Dickson questioned why Nigeria, with billions pumped into defence, is losing ground to “a ragtag band of terrorists,” despite the military performing excellently in international operations.
Dickson supported the Senate’s new resolutions to investigate:
-The withdrawal of military personnel from Kebbi State
-The killing of Brigadier-General Uba by ISWAP
-How the military handled the aftermath and the treatment of the late officer’s family
-Trillions allocated to defence with no matching improvement in manpower, equipment, or morale
He also extended condolences to all fallen soldiers and their families.
Dickson urged senators, especially those close to the President, to give him honest, unfiltered intelligence, insisting that the Presidency often operates in a “security bubble” shielded from real grassroots conditions.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to speaking truth to power:
“Nigeria is at war. Our people are being killed. Security forces are dying. Territories are being lost.
This is not the time for sycophancy.”
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