By Saminu Ibrahim
The Nigerian Senate has urged the Chief of Defense staff, chief of Army staff and the Inspector General of police to deploy troops to defend the citizenry and bring back Security to parts of Niger state occupied by Boko Haram terrorists.
The senate noted that this is the only antidote to restoring confidence in the security and safety of the affected communities.
Similarly, the upper legislative chamber urged the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police to as a matter of urgency direct for the establishment of a permanent military and police command base at the axis adjoining Shiroro and Rafi Local Government areas respectively and to redesigned the modus of operandi of the military operations within the affected areas so as to curtail the escalating insecurity.
The resolution is sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) at the plenary on Tuesday.
He lamented that the Activities of Bandits and Boko Haram Terrorists in Shiroro, Munya and Rafi local government areas of Niger state has taken a dangerous dimension.
Consequently, Senator Musa called for urgent need for federal government to deploy troops and other security apparatus to immediately bring an end to the menace of insurgency and terrorism in Niger state and other parts of Nigeria.
He drew the attention of the senate to the effect 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.
The senate also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and NEMA to as a matter national emergency provide relief materials and medical support team to the victims immediately.
Senator Sani bemoaned the continuous security challenges and related attacks by terrorist on towns, villages and communities in Shiroro, Rafi and Munya Local Government Areas of Niger State have meted untold hardship on the people and has subjected the affected areas under serious survival threat.
“If this menace is not drastically addressed, the attacks will continue and the danger is that it may escalate further to other communities. which are mostly farming communities and they are farmers, may desert their farms this season and this will negatively affect the food sufficiency and economic diversification policy of the Federal Government.
“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.
“I can authoritatively confirmed that the Boko Haram terrorist have mounted their flags in many of the villages they have captured such as Kaure, Alawa and Magami. Inhabitants of these war-torn parts of the State have been abandoned and left to their fate thereby compelling them to wallow in perpetual agony and abject misery”.
He continued: “Furthermore at this moment primary schools in Gwada, Kuta, Pandogari and Minna have hurriedly been turned to IDP camps following the sacking of nearly 5600 villagers from their ancestral homes in Shiroro, Rafi and Munya local government areas in the last few weeks by bandits who raided the towns and villages. And what this means is that if they can launched attacks without hindrance in Niger East Senatorial District then I don’t see how we can be safe Abuja anymore.”
Meanwhile, scores of senators who contributed to the motion, all lamented on the insecurity situation in the country and called for immediate remedy.
