Joseph Bakare
The House of Reps has invited the National Security Adviser, all the security Chiefs, Director, Department of State Security and Inspector General of Police to brief the House on the state of insecurity in the country.
This was a sequel to a motion by Rep. Sada Soli (APC-Katsina) which was unanimously adopted at plenary on Thursday.
Moving the motion earlier, Soli said that there was a need for the security experts to brief the house on the effort being made to ensure the safety of the lives and properties of citizens.
He said that there was a need to know the way forward to bring an end to the killings, kidnapping, and armed banditry at the next seating.
Soli said that in recent times, the security situation in some parts of the country has degenerated.
The Reps said that cases of kidnapping, killings and armed banditry have become a daily occurrence across the country, especially in Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina.
He said that the Presidential directives had not helped to drastically reduce cases of kidnapping, killings, and banditry in the country.
According to him, “this is due to lack of sustained tempo in the intervention; these criminals have continued to regroup in different camps in the government reserve forests and surrounding villages across the country.
“The magnitude of the attacks on various communities has reached an alarming rate; as these criminals have continued to perpetuate their criminal acts unabated.
“If this criminality is not urgently addressed; there will be an imminent present danger to our food security in the country.
“Any deferment by the security agencies to abridge the continuous horror and inhumanity will result in an enormous loss of lives; destruction of properties and immobilise the Socio-Economic and Educational activities of various communities,” he said.
Soli said that the country is battling to contain the dangerous community infection rate of COVID-19.
He added that with the persistent attacks by criminals on farming communities across the country; especially in the North-West and North Central, may result in serious food shortage.
According to Reps, about 500 Primary Schools and 2000 communities were completely destroyed across the country; as a result of these incessant kidnappings, killings, and armed banditry attacks.
He said that the criminals are armed to the teeth with weapons supplied by gun runners living in cosmopolitan cities across the country.
Rep. Gudaji Kazaure (APC-Jigawa) said that banditry had caused more havoc in the country than COVID-19
The lawmaker said the bandits come out in their hundreds; and also operate for hours without any intervention from security personnel.
He said if this is allowed to continue, there would be food shortages; and people might also resort to self-help which would lead to a total breakdowns flaw and order.
Kazaure said that it was embarrassing for a sitting governor to be negotiating with bandits; because security agencies had failed in their duties.
Speaker of the house, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the leadership of the House would continue to engage all security agencies on a monthly basis on the progress being made until normalcy is restored.
