Asks FG to send fighter jets to flush them out of their hideouts

When we declared bandits as terrorists, my understanding was they would be dealt with ruthlessly, says Lawan lI’m working on new approach to end insurgency — Buhari lPromises drastic change in North East within months

By Henry Umoru & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—The Senate yesterday expressed shock that despite the declaration of bandits as terrorists and increased budgetary allocation for the military, the bandits were still very effective in their killings and destructive activities in the North West.

Its reaction came against the backdrop  of the massive killings and destruction still being perpetrated by the bandits, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa, ISWAP, in Katsina State and other parts of the country.

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Consequently, the upper legislative chamber asked the Federal Government to urgently deploy enough military personnel and fighter jets to flush them out of their hideouts.

It also urged security agencies to comb all known hideouts of the bandits, kidnappers and insurgents in a bid to rescue the 38 persons abducted by gunmen in Ruwan Godiya, Katsina State, a few days ago.

Speaking on the issue on the floor of the Senate, Senator Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya ( APC, Katsina Central) said  everybody knew the bandits’ hideouts, wondering why they had not been taken out, having been declared terrorists.

Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a point of order on the “Urgent need for the Federal Government to take drastic actions to bring to an end the act of banditry and kidnapping in Faskari Local Government Area.”

The point of order was raised by Senator Bello Mandiya, APC, Katsina South.

Senator Mandiya, who came under Order 41 and 51 of the Senate Rules, noted that the act of banditry and kidnapping had become a daily occurrence in Katsina, with huge consequence of loss of lives, destruction of means of livelihood and displacement of communities.

Mandiya recalled that, “On Sunday, January 31, 2022, gunmen struck Ruwan Godiya, a community in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State where 38 members of the community were kidnapped.’’

According to him, the Federal Government has made frantic effort in curbing the menace by setting up Operation Sharan Daji and Inter-Agency Task Force to tackle cases of banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping in Katsina State.

He said, among others: “The Senate is worried that the continuous security challenges and related attacks by bandits on towns, villages and communities in Faskari Local Government Area have meted untold hardship on the people and have subjected the affected areas under serious survival threat; and

“Further worried that if this menace is not drastically and promptly addressed, the consequence is going to be huge on food sufficiency since the affected communities are mostly farmers. “

In his contribution, Senator Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya, who faulted the inability of the military to contain the situation, despite several calls for it to act, said the military knew where the bandits were based.

Senator Barkiya said: “Enough is enough. We should not just be condemning what is happening in Katsina State as far as banditry is concerned. We need to do something serious. After declaring the bandits as terrorists, we shouldn’t allow them again to continue their stupid act. 

‘’We have to look at it critically. May be we assume that the security agents are doing their best but to me, they need to do more than their best. How can the bandits just go and kidnap 38 people in a single community?

“Since we have declared these people as terrorists, what are we still waiting for? Can’t we just order the soldiers to enter the bush and bomb all of them. Our condemnation of banditry activities every day is not enough.

”We know where they (the bandits) are. Everyone knows where they are located. The government should give an order so that they would be bombed in their locations.”

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said when the bandits were declared terrorists, his understanding was they were going to be dealt with ruthlessly.

According to him, the repeated cases of kidnappings and killings makes it imperative for the military to “wake up” to protect Nigerians.

Lawan, who wondered why full scale action was yet to be taken by the military against the bandits, in spite of increased funding for security in the 2022 budget by the Executive and National Assembly, said:  “The expectation of their Senate is that there is supposed to be a remarkable difference in success in terms of the fight against insurgence, banditry and militancy in Nigeria.

“The military is getting better funding from the government and what we expect is to see an improvement in output.

“I know the resources are not enough, but recently, for one and a half years, government has upscaled the level of funding for our military.

“Secondly, when we declared the bandits as terrorists, my understanding was they are going to be dealt with ruthlessly. I wonder whether that is the case.

“The military like some of our colleagues have said, need to wake up. We want to see a difference because we have made a difference in terms of funding.

“I know funding alone will not be enough, but funding can make a difference and we expect a difference in outcome.

“Thirdly, we need to mobilise our citizens, because when a hundred people are kidnapped, they are not taken by aircraft, they are taken by motor bikes, pass through villages and possibly towns, how do we then say that nobody has seen something?’’

I’m working on new approach to end insurgency – Buhari

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration was embarking on a revised approach to addressing insurgency in the North East.

Buhari, who also said his government would not relent in efforts towards a return to peace and normalcy, pledged that Nigerians in the region would, in the coming months, witness a change from the protracted insurgency to peace and development in their respective communities.

The President spoke at the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the North-East of Nigeria, which preceded the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chambers, presidential villa, Abuja.

He said: ‘’At the advent of this administration in 2015, I pledged to Nigerians that I will restore peace in the North East and return it to the path of development and growth. I remain committed to this promise.

‘’To the people of the North-East, particularly the children and future of the North-East, we will never forget you and your courage, sacrifice and endurance have been exemplary.

‘’I pledge to you that in the coming months, you will begin to witness a shift away from a protracted insurgency to peace building, stabilization, and ultimately development in your respective communities as we embark on a revised approach to addressing this conflict – A return to normalcy.”

The President stressed that the committee’s terms of reference entailed a shift from managing the situation to activating a permanent solution for effective and practicable restoration.

He said the committee, among others, was expected to develop a concise three-year action plan by the end of March 2022 that incorporates national and state level plans, providing a clear pathway for the restoration of peace and development in the North East.

The President said the committee would also develop and implement a phased plan for the repatriation, returns, resettlement of IDPs and restoration of livelihoods, incorporating global best practices that give dignity to the affected populations.

Members of the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East are the Ministers of Finance, Budget & National Planning; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development; Interior; Foreign Affairs and Defence.

Others include the National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff, Director General, State Security, Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Director-General, North-East Development Commission, Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants & Internally Displaced Persons, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency and Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the inauguration, Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, expressed delight over the committee’s inauguration, saying displaced persons would now be repatriated and the issue of repentant Boko Haram insurgents further addressed.

He said: “Indeed, we are so much happy, especially those of us that are in the North East, because thousands of people were displaced, some are taking refuge in the Republic of Chad, in the Republic of Niger, Cameroon. 

‘’This is the time the federal government, in collaboration with the state government, North East, will facilitate the repatriation of the internally displaced persons living in our neighboring countries to Nigeria.

“The committee is also to look into the management of repentant Boko Haram members. So, indeed, we are so grateful and the entire north-eastern government will give maximum support to this committee. 

‘’We will provide the necessary support to the federal government under the leadership of the President. We shall provide on support and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and others and the military to ensure that this process yield the desired result.”