Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Senators and three governors on Tuesday expressed concern about the nationwide ceaseless killings and kidnappings in the country, urging the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd,), to seek foreign help.
The lawmakers, while debating a motion on activities of Boko Haram in Niger State, described insecurity in the country as not only terrible, but also shameful. The motion was sponsored by Senator Sani Musa (All Progressives Congress, Niger East).
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum; his Niger State counterpart, Sani Bello and Samuel Ortom of Benue State, in separate interviews warned that insecurity in the country was getting out of control.
The governors, therefore, urged the Federal Government to act fast as 21 people were killed across the country on Tuesday.
Zulum, in an interview with the State House correspondents on Monday night, said the President should be told the truth about insecurity in the country.
On his part, Ortom decried herdsmen’s attack on Abegana area of the state where seven persons were killed on Tuesday.
Bello, in an interview on the Nigerian Television Authority on Tuesday, said Boko Haram was scaring people away from Niger State communities.
The insecurity in Niger State was brought to the fore at the Senate on Tuesday as Senator Musa in his motion corroborated the governor’s statement, saying many communities in the state were under the control of Boko Haram.
He said, “About 42 communities across the two local government areas of Shiroro and Munya 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.”
Contributing to the motion, Bima Enagi (APC, Niger North), said Nigerians could not continue to bear the pain of women being raped and forcibly married to Boko Haram terrorists.
Enagi, who said insecurity in the country was terrible, stated, “We cannot continue to allow Boko Haram to hoist flags in Nigerian territories. What is our army doing? What are all security agencies doing?
“It has become so shameful that a great country like Nigeria will be in this type of terrible situation. It seems the Federal Government is handling this insecurity with kid gloves. People are dying every day and nothing is being done. No serious, concrete situation on ground to confront these people (insurgents and bandits). I don’t know what else this Senate can do other than appeal to the government.”
Source: The Punch
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