The Senate on Tuesday called out President Muhammadu Buhari over the worsening security situation in the country, saying the country is falling under his watch.
The Senate’s position followed an outcry in a motion sponsored by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa representing Niger East Senatorial District, revealing that activities of bandits and Boko Haram insurgents have taken a dangerous dimension in Niger State.
He said Boko Haram and bandits have taken over three Local Government Areas and are effectively in charge, to the helplessness of security agents.
Sani said the take over of the three local government areas, Shiroro, Munya and Rafi was not only an embarrassing situation to the government but the next target of terrorists would be Abuja.
He expressed frustration that for seven years, Niger East has been under the occupation of terrorists, wondering how it became difficult for security agents to tackle them despite huge budgets that have been committed over the years.
He said: “Almost seven years now Niger East Senatorial District of Niger State have come under constant and sustained multiple deadly attacks by heartless, venomous and hydra headed Boko Haram terrorists.
“They are always heavily armed with assorted sophisticated and dangerous weapons unleashing their horror on our innocent populace.â€
“Cognisance that about 42 communities across the two local government areas of Shiroro and Munya Local Government have so far fallen under the Boko Haram control with about 5,000 villagers already displaced in the last three days.
“They have kidnapped many and their wives seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram members.
“Three military camps in Allawa, Bassa and Zagzaga in the two local government areas have been sacked and some security personnel killed by the insurgents in the last one month of renewed attacks.â€
The lawmaker further confirmed that Boko Haram terrorists have mounted their flags in many of the villages they have captured such as Kaure, Alawa and Magami.
Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerewmadu called for drastic action if insecurity must be put to an end.
He suggested shutting down the government and declaring a state of emergency in affected areas.
“Mr President, the situation we found ourselves today is not irreversible, but the problem is that we have not been able to take this matter seriously.
“Sri Lanka, Israel and Colombia went through this and they overcame successfully, so we should not be ashamed to seek the assistance of those countries to help us.
“I think the time has come for Niger State to be completely shut down to protect their citizens and save those who are alive.â€
Senator Gabriel Torwua Suswam regretted that some students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi were on Sunday kidnapped while five of those kidnapped from Greenfield University, Kaduna last week have been killed.
Senators Biodun Olujimi and Danjuma La’ar were unanimous that the approach of tackling insecurity in Nigeria was not good enough.
They maintained that insecurity has reached a level where all arsenals should be rolled out against what is happening in the country.
All the lawmakers who spoke on the motion utterly condemned the inability of the government to change the narrative.
