Senate to Service Chiefs: Help! Bandits have taken over the land

The Senate, on Wednesday, urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to intensify efforts toward police patrolling of various communities in the country.
The upper chamber also called on Service Chiefs and all security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, deploy security to some parts of Niger affected by activities of bandits and to change the security architecture of the area immediately.
The resolutions were sequel to a motion during plenary, moved by Senator Sani Musa (APC-Niger East) on the menace of bandits in the senatorial district.
The Senate also urged the National Emergency and Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials for the affected communities, in view of the harmattan being experienced.
Moving the motion, Musa said : “Bandits have taken over the whole villages around Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger. They came in their hundreds and most of them were on motorbikes and Hilux.
“I wonder how they have been able to work without any security agency intercepting them. I am bringing this matter of urgency to this hallowed chamber to rise to the occasion.
“The insecurity is becoming alarming and if we should allow it to continue and we feel safe here, we are not safe. The security architecture in that area is not working. The bandits in Katsina and Zamfara are all in Niger. It is beyond the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
Supporting the motion, Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, said that there was need to look at the issue of banditry holistically, adding that “it is not enough for actions to be taken at a particular point.“
In his remarks, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said that the motion was very serious and urged security agencies to act as quickly and expeditiously as possible to repel the attacks by the bandits.
“The essence of any government is the protection of lives and property,this is one thing we need to do to our citizens as an administration and as a government.
“We hope this thing is brought to an end and we will do everything possible, working together with the executive to ensure that we secure the lives of our citizens as well as their property, “ he said.
Similarly, the Senate has directed Inspector-General of Police to ensure better security of lives and property in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River.
The upper chamber urged the police boss to establish mobile police barracks in the headquarters of the local government area for easy deployment to troubled spots.
This followed a motion moved by Senator Sandy Onor (PDP-Cross River Central), on the incessant cases of militancy, coordinated killings and kidnapping in the area of the state.
The Senate also asked the Cross River Government to take over the crisis stricken areas and delineate the inter community boundaries accordingly.