DSP Barau’s Efforts Against Insecurity and Bills Sponsorship
By Abba Anwar
An interesting and soundly captivating revelation goes viral and attracting accolades in the media from yesterday, when the Special Adviser on Media, to His Excellency, Deputy Senate President, Barau I Jibrin, PhD, CFR, discloses that, the Senator sponsored 42 Bills in 36 Months.
The Media Aide, Ismail Mudasshir in his press release, says, “A total of 42 bills have so far been sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, in three years, from June 13, 2023, to June 13, 2026, records from the Senate have revealed.
Senator Barau, who represents Kano North Senatorial District, has emerged as the most active lawmaker in the 10th Senate in terms of private member bill sponsorship.”
The breakdown further reveals that, that the Senator sponsored 13 bills in 2023, 9 bills in 2024, 17 bills in 2025 and 3 bills in 2026.
Yes the number of the Bills shows the seriousness, commitment and how patriotic DSP is, because that number places him inches ahead of many Distinguished colleagues. He truly understands and identifies himself with the primary responsibility of a legislator in legislative process, lobby, procedure and oversight functions.
It is absolutely true that, the number of the Bills birthed under his effort are commendable. But more commendable to me, are the Bills that have link with the security of the land. In this context. As insecurity is plaguing hard in the North in particular, and Nigeria in general, anything that has to do with taming the menace and monster of this problem, is an all-important development.
I sometimes disagree with some opinions that, all our leaders are not interested in taming the menace of insecurity in the country. I do so, when I think of good leaders like DSP Jibrin. In his own capacity as a legislator, whose primary and constitutional responsibility lies on legislation, not execution, he is doing well and amazing.
This piece is not on his contributions to security agencies and personnel in his constituency and Kano state in general. It is concentrated only on security – related Bills in the Senate, which he sponsored.
To talk briefly about his constituency and state, while he did a lot in providing operational vehicles and other logistics for the Nigeria Police Force, Kano Command, alongside other security agencies, he did well in the area of infrastructural development in Barracks and other operational locations.
Insurgency and other forms of terrorism hitting hard on us, does not start and end in forests and other hideous, such physical acts are the product of planning, engagement and execution. In this digital age Cybercrimes are crux of the matter, alongside other nefarious activities. With the good understanding of the lingering bad side of this, DSP Jibrin, initiated and sponsored Cybercrimes (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2023 (SB.64).
Cybercrime is a pregnant of bad traits like hacking government systems, banking fraud, online scams FUNDING BANDITS/KIDNAPPERS, spread of disinformation that incites violence. When DSP understood that, repealing and re-enacting the 2015 Act, could aid in updating penalties, improving coordination with equally relevant agencies like Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA). This will give law enforcement better tools to track cybercriminals. Without this, Nigeria’s digital space stays vulnerable.
Understanding that modern insecurity is not just about guns. Explosives sometimes cause more devastating damage than guns. His Excellency, Deputy Senate President sponsored Explosives Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2023 (SB.70). This has to do with IEDs, bombings, illegal mining explosives used bandits/insurgents. The old Act is outdated. A new Act tightens licensing for quarries, construction, mining companies. It also controls storage and transportation so explosives don’t end up in wrong hands. This, by whatever standard, is a frontline prevention against terrorism and violent crime.
His genuine concern for our patriotic elements, Armed Forces of the Federal Republic, Senator Jibrin sponsored Armed Forces Comfort Fund Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 882). This has to do with the welfare of our soldiers and direct military operations. It looks at the welfare of soldiers – medical care for injured troops, support for families of fallen soldiers, barracks upgrades.
It is natural to note that if morale and welfare are low, troop effectiveness automatically drops. This Bill ensures the fund works better, so soldiers fighting Boko Haram, bandits, IPOB etc are better supported. Security depends on the reality that fighting force being motivated.
As a global citizen whose worldview and knowledge of how nations struggle against modern crimes, with digital capacity and capability, our all-round Senator sponsored Cryptocurrency Prohibition and Regulation Bill, 2025 (SB.931). This has to do with financial security. A crux of many evils. It is very clear to deeply understand that unregulated crypto is used to move ransom money for kidnapping, fund terrorism, launder proceeds of banditry.
This Bill strengthening prohibition and regulation suggests loudly that Nigeria wants to either ban high-risk crypto or put strict Know Your Customer/ Anti-Money Laundering (KYC/AML) rules. That cuts off a funding channel for criminals. Central Bank and EFCC have alarmed crypto as a security risk since 2021.
To deal with financial crimes and enhance financial security from all ramifications, he saw reason in sponsoring Virtual Asset and Service Providers Bill, 2025 (SB. 956). It looks at VASP exchanges, wallets, crypto brokers. Failure to regulate them could land Nigeria to be blacklisted by Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global Police for money crimes.
It is globally accepted that, when a nation is blacklisted by FATF, that hurts banking and investment. Which automatically weakens the economy and creates more poverty-driven crime. Regulating VASPs means transactions can be traced, making it harder for kidnappers/bandits to hide money for their notorious activities.
His Bill the National Identity Management Commission (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2024 (SB.472), is foundational for internal security. As crimes like kidnapping, banditry and terrorism thrive on anonymity, with this Bill, a very strong, clean National ID database with biometrics helps security agencies identify suspects, track movement, block SIM cards of criminals, and secure borders. This Bill has already been passed into Law. It strengthens NIMC to capture more Nigerians and link NIN to SIMs, BVN, and the rest.
Slow development or lack of it, fuels nefarious activities among citizens. With this understanding Senator Jibrin saw a strong reason why he should sponsor and facilitate for the establishment of a development commission. Hence his sponsorship of North West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2023 (SB.90).
It is largely believe that, insecurity in North West region is driven by poverty, no jobs, no schools, abandoned projects etc etc. The Commission is created to rebuild roads, schools, hospitals, create jobs in the 7 states of the region. This tackles root causes of the disturbing and lingering menace. Which means fewer youth join gangs. Especially when the Commission takes-off.
With Constitution Alteration Bills, 2023-2025, sponsorsed by the DSP, many areas concentrate on how to change security architecture. Provisions like SB.262, SB.281, SB.288, SB.403, SB.784, SB.785, SB.786, SB.793, SB.804, SB.907 deal with state police, local government autonomy, security votes transparency, or police reform. We are talking of constitutionalizing fight against insecurity.
Kidnappers den and terrorists hideouts are looked at in the Bill he sponsored, Development Planning and Project Continuity Bill, 2023 (SB.05). Under this the provisions need to do with environmental and/or operational security. It looks at bandoned projects like uncompleted buildings, roads, dams that become hideouts for kidnappers and bandits. This bill forces governments to finish projects before starting new ones. Less abandoned infrastructure means less space for criminals to operate. This also prevents waste of public funds that should go to security.
I am not only looking at the number of Bills sponsored by His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Jibrin, though commendable and encouraging, my concern in this context is the fact that out of the total Bills, 42, 5 hit security head-on, 4 addresses root causes or systems that make security easier. While 3 of the 4 have already become law, these are Cybercrimes, Explosives, NIMC, and NWDC.
I concur with His Excellency’s Media Aide, Mudasshir when he said in his press release, that, “Sponsoring forty-two bills in three years is, without doubt, a colossal legislative feat. Senator Barau, fondly called ‘Maliya’, has always been known as someone who raises the bar to enviable heights in all his endeavours.
He explained further that, “The Deputy Senate President has achieved this alongside the demanding duties of supporting the Senate President in providing leadership for the Senate. At the sub-regional legislature, the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Barau as the First Deputy Speaker has been playing a key role in the leadership of the regional assembly.”
Anwar writes from Kano
Sunday, 14th June, 2026