The Senate on Wednesday, urged the Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu, to beef up security and ensure rigorously and intensify police patrol of various communities in the country.
The upper chamber also called on the nation’s Service Chiefs and all security agencies to as a matter of urgency, deploy personnel to parts of Niger State now under bandits attack.
These resolutions were sequel to two motions during plenary moved by Sen. Sani Musa (APC-Niger East) on the menace of bandits in his senatorial district and Senator Sandy Onor (Cross River Central) on the incessant cases of militancy, coordinated killings and kidnapping in Boki local government area in Cross River State.
The Senate also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to the affected communities in Niger state in view of the present harmattan season.
Besides, while taking the prayers on the motion moved by Senator Onor, observed a minute silence in honour of the dead in Boki, called on the IGP to immediately arrest and prosecute the perpetrators and requested the Cross River State Government to take over the crisis-stricken areas and delineate the inter-community boundaries accordingly.
The upper chamber further called on the IGP to ensure better security of life and property in Boki local government area and to establish a mobile police barracks in the headquarters local government for easy deployment to troubled spots.
In his lead debate, Musa said that “bandits have taken over, the whole villages around Shiroro Local Government.
“They came in their hundreds and most of them were on motorbikes and Hilux vans. I wonder how they have been able to work without any security agency intercepting them.
“I’m 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.
“I urge this house to call the security chiefs order. The security architecture in that area is not working. The bandits in Katsina and Zamfara are all in Niger. It is beyond the Nigerian police,” he said.
On his part, Senator Onor said that President Muhammadu Buhari had spoken on the worrisome crisis involving three communities: Ise-Obendege, Boje and Sadom in Boki Local Government of Cross River State.
“Boki is a very critical and strategic Local Government in Cross River State and falls within my constituency.
“It is germane that this Senate should lend its voice to finding ways and means of ending this crisis that has claimed many lives and property,” Onor lamented.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan said that the motion was a very serious one and urged the security agencies to act as quickly and as expeditiously as possible to repel the attacks and assaults by the bandits.
“The essence of any government is the protection of lives and property and 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,” Lawan said.