….As Senate Urges security agencies to wake up

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

It was lamentation by the Senators over what they described as an unending killing spree being carried out in some communities in Niger and Katsina States by armed bandits.

The Senate has called on the federal government to direct Police and Nigeria Army to beef up personnel and equipment deployment to flashpoints of armed banditry in Katsina State in order to flush out the bandits and restore peace in the State.

The Upper Chamber has also urged the Federal Government to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately send relief materials to the victims of these attacks as many of them have lost their livelihoods habitats, and are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

The Senate has also asked the Federal Government to immediately begin the implementation of the recommendations of the ”Report of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Nigeria Security Challenges: Need to Restmcture, Review, and Re-Organize the Current Security Architecture” as a way of addressing holistically the current security challenges confronting.

Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were sequel to a motion titled, ” The rising spate of Armed Banditry Attacks and persistent killings in Katsina State.” and sponsored by Senator Bello Mandiya, All Progressives Congress, APC, Katsina South.

Senator Mandiya in his motion said that concerned communities are becoming desperate and may resort to self-help which would eventually lead to a state of anarchy.

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Presenting the motion, Senator Mandiya said that the Senate: “Notes with dismay and disapproval, the rising wave of coordinated armed attacks in several parts of Katsina State by murderous bandits which have led to mass killings of persons, in addition to other heinous criminal acts including cattle rustling, kidnapping and mass displacement of people from their ancestral lands;

“Concerned that even while Katsina State, like the rest of the country. is groaning under the current plight of the Coronavirus pandemic, the plight of the indigenes of the State is daily being compounded by the devastating activities of the marauding bandits which have left many people in complete fear and despair.”

According to him, the Senate “Recalls that apart from the attacks that have been going on for months which were mostly unreported, very recently, between Tuesday 5“I and Wednesday 6‘“ May 2020, armed bandits carried out multiple attacks on several communities in Faskari, Kankara, Sabuwa, Dandume, Batsari and Jibia Local Government Areas of the State during which the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Aminu Abdulkareem, was shot and the Head of Administration of Danmusa was kidnapped together with his son to an unknown location. The DPO is yet to recover from the serious gunshot injuries inflicted on him by the bandits,”

He said that the Senate “further recalls that about the same period, armed bandits invaded several communities in Kankara Local Government of Katsina State killing so many people, while carrying out other heinous crimes including cattle rustling, kidnapping, and also causing forced displacement of the villagers from their ancestral homes;

“Aware that in the last two weeks, so many people have been killed and more livestock rustled by the bandits across the state;

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“Aware also that during the same period, armed bandits launched more attacks on several villages during which several people were killed, others injured and cattle rustling. The bandits used sophisticated weapons including AK 47 during the deadly operations; in fact, they are so emboldened that they now carry out their operations on a daily basis even in broad daylight;

“Concerned that these communities are becoming desperate and may resort to self-help leading eventually to a state of anarchy.”

He further said that the Upper Chamber is “Previously Alarmed by the rising wave of insecurity and upsurge of criminal activities across the country, on Wednesday, 29th January 2020, resolved and set up an Ad-hoc Committee on Nigerian Security Challenges, highlighting the urgent need to restructure, review, and reorganize the current security architecture; and particularly security agencies comprising the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Army and other relevant security agencies to the grave security situation in Katsina State.”

Worried by the development, Senators in their contributions, called on the various security agencies, particularly the Police and the Military to wake up and rise up to the disturbing challenge.

In his own contribution, Deputy Chief Whip of the Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, APC Niger North , said that the issue of insecurity in the country had been over debated at both Chambers of the National Assembly with attendant resolutions passed, adding, “What is required now from the security agencies, is action and nothing more.

“There is a need for them to wake up by confronting the mindless criminals frontally.”

In his contribution, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, APC Sokoto East said that the matter seems to be getting out of hand for the security forces as banditry is now a daily occurrence in Sokoto State.

According to him, in some areas of the state under the firm control of the bandits, issues on marriage and land disputes, are now being adjudicated upon by leaders of bandits in the affected areas.

He said, “Government needs to wake up before the affected communities resort to self-help, which will be in form of a full-scale war against the criminals and invariably anarchy.”

Other Senators like Jibrin Barau, APC Kano North, Mohammed Enagi, APC Niger South, among others also decried the worrisome development and called on security agencies to wake up .

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan who noted that the security agencies are overwhelmed due to the inadequate number of personnel and equipment, said, The Security agencies have not at any time shirked away from their responsibilities of ensuring security for all and sundry in the country.

“But with inadequate personnel and equipment, they are no doubt, overwhelmed by the spate of crimes and criminalities across the country.

“They are however expected to redouble their efforts in getting armed bandits, kidnappers and other criminals out of their various hideouts.”

Vanguard