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Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed support for the bill which seeks to give additional powers to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to regulate access to explosive materials across the country.
The lawmakers expressed the solidarity during the debate on the bill which seeks to repeal and re-enact the Explosive Act to control access to explosive materials in the country, which scaled through second reading on the floor of the House.
In his lead debate, Shawulu Kwewum (PDP-Taraba) explained that the proposed Explosive Act, 2016 provides for comprehensive provisions for the importation, manufacturing, storage and use of explosives and for other matters connected therewith.
According to him, Part 5 of the proposed bill provides that: “any person who intentionally delivers, places, discharges or detonate explosives with intent to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person or to damage or destroy any place, facility or system is guilty of an offence.”
Part 7 of the bill also provides for offences, penalties, jurisdictions and appeal while Part 8 section 29(1) of the bill gives the IGP the power to make regulations regarding the provisions and implementation of the Act.
Kwewum who bemoaned the absence of “reliable central control point where data on locations of explosive and persons having access to them an be accessed for legitimate security enquiry,” condemned the unabated use of explosives for crime and terrorism in many parts of the world including Nigeria.
“It has therefore become imperative to expand the control of explosive from the current industrial purpose, since they have become major security material.
“We do know that across the world serious attention is paid to the manufacture, importation storage and use of explosives,” he said.
While ruling, Speaker Yakubu Dogara referred the bill to the House Committee on Police and National Security for further legislative action.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
