The Senate yesterday raised the alarm over the worsening state of insecurity in the country, saying state police remained one of the solutions to the problem.
It also spoke of summoning the service chiefs to speak on how the present state of insecurity in the country could be tackled, and demanded special military operations against banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes, especially in the north east and north west.
The Senate’s resolution came against the backdrop of a motion moved by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (APC-Katsina) at plenary yesterday.
Presenting the motion, Yar’Adua raised some concerns over the kidnap of five female students of the Federal University Dutsinma, FUDMA, in Katsina State in their hostel on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
He said about 24 students of the Federal University of Gusau, Zamfara State, were also abducted recently.
“Sixteen of them have been successfully freed, following a rescue operation by security agencies,” he said.“Yar’Adua said that the kidnapping had thrown the university communities in the zone to a panic mood.
He said there was also the case of eight National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members who were kidnapped by suspected terrorists on their way to camp in Zamfara on August 21.
“The NYSC corps members were traveling in an Akwa Ibom Transport Company, AKTC, bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom, to Sokoto State, for the one-year mandatory national service, when their vehicle was intercepted by the terrorists,” he said.
He said that the frequency of kidnapping for ransom had increased in major towns and communities in the North West and other parts of the country.
The senator also emphasised the need for the creation of state police as one of the solutions to the security challenges in the country.
He asked security agencies to be more proactive and ensure the rescue of the abducted female students as well as the corps members kidnapped by terrorists in Zamfara State, and charged the military to conduct special operations to dislodge bandits in the North-West and in other parts of the country and also called on the federal government to address the manpower deficit in the armed forces and police.
”There is need now to place more emphasis on state police to help in tackling the worsening security situation in the country.
”Special military operations have also become very necessary to deal with banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the north west and other parts of the country. The government should also do well to address the manpower deficit in the military, as the insecurity problem seems to be getting worse,” Senator Yar’Adua stated.
Th Red Chamber also said it would be summoning service chiefs and the National Security Adviser to brief it on how the problems of insecurity in the country could be address but was silent on the date for the meeting.
Those to be summoned include the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar.
Also to be invited are the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The Senate directed its Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure that the relevant security agencies complied with its resolution.