Insecurity: Senate Wants FG To Declare Known Terrorists’ Leaders, Financiers WANTED

BY EDMOND ODOK – A troubled Nigerian Senate has again challenged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgent national importance, declare ‘WANTED’ all known leaders of terrorist groups and their financiers in the country.

Raising its voice to condemn growing insecurity that has seen massive killing and malicious destruction of property across the country, the Upper Legislative chamber urged President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy massively, the military and other law enforcement agencies to conduct a rigorous operation that would end the banditry and cattle rustling in all the affected Local Government Areas.

This is as the Red chamber also urged the Federal Government to establish an operational base within Danko/Wasagu and Sakaba Local Government Areas of Kebbi that have been seriously affected by “the current rise in security challenges”.

However, the Senate President, Senate Ahmad Lawan has encouraged his colleagues not to be overwhelmed by the current down moments in the country, saying; “Let us never be discouraged because sometimes we fill why are we doing this when nothing is happening.”

The latest resolutions by the Senators followed Wednesday’s motion sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah and co-sponsored by 12 other lawmakers titled; “Urgent need to surmount all kinds of kidnappings, banditry and related security challenges in Wasagu-Danko, Sakaba and Yauri Local Government Areas of Kebbi”.

Also, the Senate has tasked the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with the urgent provision of relief materials to all affected areas and persons, even as it urged relevant agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and private philanthropists not to relent in assisting victims of violence and humanitarian disaster in the country.

In presenting the motion, Senator Na’Allah, who represents Kebbi Central on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said; “it is no longer news that the bandits are moving in hundreds from village to village, house to house in search of cattle to rustle and people to abduct.

“The bandits have been reportedly laying siege around Yar-kuka, Morai, Dankade to Wadako and recently in Bena where 20 people were abducted.”

Warning of dire consequences if urgent steps are not taken to address the debilitating security challenges, Senator Na’Allah said the peace-loving communities may be forced to resort to self-defence by acquiring arms and ammunition.

Also speaking on the motion, Senator Adamu Aliero of APC, representing Kebbi South, said; “Recently, we purchased Tucano Aircrafts which can be used to move out the bandits. It has the ability to trace the movement of these bandits.

“If they are rustling cows, I wonder how they move them without being detected. I urge security forces to intensify efforts to stop banditry in the state.”

On his part, the APC Senator, representing Niger East, Sani Musa, said; “The security situation is becoming alarming not only in Kebbi but in surrounding states like Niger. Human beings are lost every day, and we enjoy standing and doing one-minute silence for them. Apart from calling on security agencies to intensify efforts in the fight against insecurity, our leaders should have the fear of God.”

Addressing his colleagues on the motion, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan urged them to hold on and not be discouraged, saying; “There is a limit to what we can do but we must do what we are supposed to do well.”

According to him; “We can only do oversight to put pressure but we can’t execute. We can’t command anyone to go anywhere but what we do here is very significant. We should continue to debate it and follow on with some actions.”

“We have approved significant resources, funds recently in both the Supplementary Budget of 2021 and the Appropriation Act of 2022 for armed forces and other security agencies”, Senator Lawan said, adding that; “The time has come for all security and defence-related committees to have an effective oversight on the releases of funds to these agencies.”