By Andy Asemota
The Senate has tasked enjoined President Muhammad Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security in the country to address the spate of rising killings, kidnappings and other heinous crimes.
The resolution of the Upper Chamber, presided over by Ahmad Lawan, followed the Point of Order raised by Senator Sank Musan (Niger Central, APC) to report the abduction of yet to ascertain number out of about 1000 population of staff and students of Government Science Secondary School Kagara, Niger State, around 2am on Wednesday.
Sani Musa had prayed the Senate to enjoin President Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria, adding that the suspected terrorists that abducted Kagara students, staff and members of their families were dressed in military uniform.
He lamented that the incident came strongly on the heels of the abduction of more than 20 passengers on their to Minna, Niger State Capital, last Sunday, besides the spate of recent abduction of about 344 students in Katsina State and worrisome security situation in the country.
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Contributing to the motion, Senator Bima Mohammed Enagi (Niger South, APC), said there is no stressing that “terrorists and kidnappers are everywhere in the country,” while lamenting the abduction of about 40 passengers in the state about three week ago.
“This government is incompetent because this issue (of insecurity) has been discussed here (in the plenary) over and over and there is no result. I am sure everybody here has a story to tell. Are we going to amend the constitution to give power to every Nigerian to carry guns and for state governors to be empowers truly function as their States chief security officers? Our government at the centre is so incompetent,” Bima stated.
Senator representing Niger North, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, however warned that it was high time that security agents redoubled their efforts so that Nigerians could have some peace, adding the Kagara abduction is yet another event every citizen should be sad about.
Abdullahi also warned that Kagara Local Government Area of Niger State had become a hot bed where bandits had entrenched themselves and terrorizing part of the state and may extend their tentacles to nearby Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking after a voice vote affirming the Senate call on the President to declare a state of emergency on security, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, posited that security agencies should adopt a strategy of protecting students in Northern schools in order to prevent a massive reversal of the gains of the efforts of past leaders to encourage parents to enrol their children into schools.
Lawan also tasked the new Service Chiefs to consider protection of schools and students in the North as part of their top priorities because the consequences of parents’ refusal to send their children to schools as a result of insecurity were better imagined.
“I hope the whole country will be praying that the children abducted in KagaraNiger State, will be returned safe and hurt,” the Senate President opined.
