Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has condemned the alleged assassination attempt on the deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, his wife and son, by unknown gunmen.
Dogara on Tuesday said as the 2019 elections draw closer, the Nigeria Police and indeed all security agencies must ensure that acts of intimidation and coercion such as political assassinations are prevented.
This was as the House, in a separate motion directed the federal government to provide more troops to Zurmi and Shinkafi federal constituency of Zamfara State in order to tackle the perennial and incessant banditry killings; kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery.
Dogara in a press statement on the assassination attempt said that the incident which occurred at the residence of the Deputy President of the Senate in Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, was a clear indication that insecurity in the country has climaxed to the point that nowhere and nobody is safe in the country.
According to him, as the general elections draw closer, security agencies in the country must ensure that lives and properties of all Nigerians are secured and protected.
He said: “There is no room for excuses anymore. The security agencies must be alive to their responsibility of securing the lives and properties of Nigerians. This is unacceptable. The Police must ensure that the gunman and all those involved are not only apprehended but brought to justice.
“As the 2019 elections draws closer, it is of utmost importance that the Police and other security agencies deploy its intelligence to forestall wanton killings and other violent acts that are programmed to cause fear and panic among Nigerians. These kind of incidents must be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand.”
Meanwhile, a motion sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Moriki (APC, Zamfara) during plenary on Tuesday brought to the fore the cases of armed banditry, kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery which had been on the rise on daily basis in Zamfara State.
According to him, no fewer than 30 persons were kidnapped in the last one month, including two minors of ten and eleven years of age, too many to mention in two constituencies.The House while passing the motion, directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the affected communities as a matter of urgency.
The motion was therefore referred to the House Committee on Defence for further legislative action.