The National Assembly has lamented the resurgence of killings by armed bandits, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to evolve proactive measures to end it.
Dastardly attacks by Boko Haram have resurfaced in various parts of the country, killing scores and destroying property.
Consequently, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, are to quickly meet with Buhari to discuss the matter and fashion out ways to solve the security challenges.
The resolve by NASS leadership to meet Buhari was sequel to a motion which was presented during Senate plenary.
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The motion, tagged “resurgence of killings in Borno North by Boko Haram insurgents”, it is being sponsored by Senator Abubakar Kyari (APC – Borno North). It is co-sponsored by Senators Kashim Shettima (APC – Borno Central); and Ali Ndume (APC – Borno South).
Leading the debate, Kyari specifically informed of the killing of ninety persons, including women and children, on Tuesday 9th June, 2020, by Boko Haram insurgents following an attack on Foduma Kolum village of Gubio Local Government.
According to Kyari, the insurgents in recent weeks, killed seventeen people in Gajiagana, Magimeri local government on 17th May, 2020, and another thirty-three persons killed in Nganzai local government on 22nd May, 2020.
He said “these attacks are becoming very worrisome in view of the fact that the Nigerian Armed Forces recently started recording successes in the fight against insurgency.”
“These attacks which have led to the massacre of hundreds of people, also include other acts such as cattle rustling, kidnapping, abduction and forceful displacement of people from their ancestral communities,” Kyari stated
While concurring the motion, Senator Ali Ndume (APC – Borno South), lamented the inability of the Armed Forces to completely cripple insurgent activities in the North-East.
In his remarks, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan said, “Boko Haram has metamorphosed from a group of religious zealots into an industry. It is an industry because what they do is not religious. They have people from different faiths and countries who are part of Boko Haram.
“This Senate passed so many resolutions, including the reports of the various Ad-Hoc Committees we set up on Security, but the problem persists.”
“I don’t want to say meeting the President is something that we have to reveal if we do, but of course it is natural that issues like this will be of interest for us to discuss with the President, and we have been doing that.
“What is necessary is for us to persist. Our Armed Forces have their challenges, and therefore, we will continue to look at those challenges and try to address them.
“However, where anybody is found wanting, our stand should be that people should occupy offices based on their performance.
“There’s no point if somebody is not registering successes for such person to continue to be there, but that is if you give that person the necessary tools to fight. So, we should give them the necessary tools and then we hold them accountable.
“We will do that in addition to of course meeting Mr. President, it is not going to be the Senate President, I’ll make sure that I have my colleague in the House of Representatives because this is a national question,” Lawan said.
