Insecurity: Nigeria at war, House of Reps to President Buhari

- Members of the House of Representatives are not happy with the security situation in the country

- Debating the recent killings in Sokoto state, the lawmakers lamented what they described as the laid-back posture of the administration and its security services

- According to them, Nigeria is at war and the security agencies have failed to protect the citizenry

Members of the House of Representatives say Nigeria is at war due to the frequent killings across the country in recent times.

This was reflected in their comments as they debated the recent killings in Sokoto state on the floor of the lower house on Thursday, July 12.

The lawmakers accused Nigeria's security agencies of failing to protect Nigerians despite the constant brazen attacks witnessed across the country.

They tasked the speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, to impress it on President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria is in a state of war where injunctions of patience do not hold water.

Speaking on a motion on the state of insecurity in the land, following the massacre of more than 30 persons in Sokoto on Monday, July 9, members across party and ethnic lines lamented what they described as the laid-back posture of the administration and its security services in the wake of the killings.

The motion, sponsored by Aminu Shagari (APC, Sokoto), was appraised as the 80th of such taken in the House since the advent of the Buhari administration.

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Moving the motion, Shagari stated that on July 9, armed bandits invaded some villages in Rabah local government area and killed about 32 persons and also destroyed houses of the villagers.

“The armed bandits (had) issued threat letters to the villagers, warning them to pay some millions or risk being attacked, prior to the invasion by about 100 of the armed bandits on motorcycles, using guns.

“They also used improvised explosive devices suspected to be petrol bombs in carrying out their dastardly act," he said.

Insisting that the federal government has failed the people, Shagari said: “Mr. Speaker, honourable colleagues, our government is failing. It has failed in its primary responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of the citizens.

“Everyday we come here, it is one thing or the other. Mr. Speaker, only a fool does the same thing over and over again and expects to get a different outcome from the previous act.”

In their submissions, several lawmakers took turns to reprimand the government’s approach in tackling the issues, Honourable Nkiru Ukeje, (PDP, Abia), expressly told her colleagues that the country is at war.

“The killings are escalating. The civil war lasted for three years, but Boko Haram has lasted for nine years. Mr. Speaker, our country is at war. It is being invaded by people we do not know.

“It means as parliament; we should start to realise it is business unusual. We can’t continue to sit down here and pretend. One part of our country is getting ungovernable. Let’s tell ourselves the truth that we are at war.

“Mr. Speaker, go and tell the president that we are at war and please don’t come back and tell us that we must be patient. Please tell him we must do what countries do when they are at war,” she thundered.

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On his part, the minority whip, Honourable Yakubu Barde, submitted that if the authorities could deploy 30,000 men to Ekiti state for the conduct of governorship election, it could also do same in Sokoto and other states of the country if it took security as important as an election.

His words: “I learned that the armed bandits gave a notice that they were coming and I ask, are there no policemen in that area? If we can send 30,000 policemen, why can’t the same police mobilise the same number to Sokoto xtate? We have done our bit here. We must tell the truth. We have spoken out.”

Honourable Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) in his contribution, made allusion to a statement credited to President Buhari that the security chiefs were still racking their brains to proffer solutions to the crisis.

According to him, that means that the security chiefs are yet to find a lasting solution to the problem.

“I think we need to make a choice on how we will need to operate. We need the support of the executive as regards to what we need to do with our security apparatus. The president has said he will not rest until we are secure but my worry is that the security chiefs are still racking their brains to know what is happening,” he said.

Abdulsamad Dasuki from (APC, Sokoto) lamented that the Federal Government has not been able to find solutions to the security challenges in the country, despite the passage of 79 resolutions on the issue in the last three years.

“The earlier we unite as one house the better for us. We have offered solutions times without number, but nothing has happened,” he stated.

Honourable Chika Adamu (APC, Niger) said the Department of State Services (DSS) had a 70% capacity to pinpoint the likelihood of an attack in a place but regretted that for whatever reasons, the security apparatus of government is unable to address the issue.

“If DSS can determine that something is going to happen, then the federal government has to buckle up,” he said.

Adopting the motion, the House tasked its committee on security and intelligence to investigate the cause of the attacks. It also mandated its relevant committees to audit the exact number of security personnel in Nigeria.

It equally urged the National Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials to the affected victims of the attacks, besides commending the Sokoto state police command for its quick intervention to assist the victims.

The committee was given four weeks within which to conclude its assignment and submit to the House for further legislative inputs.

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Meanwhile, the deputy Senate leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, on Tuesday, July 10, said the 30,000 police personnel deployed to Ekiti state for the July 14 governorship election was unacceptable.

Na’Allah, an APC senator from Kebbi state wondered why large number of policemen should be deployed for an election when the authorities could not deploy 10,000 policemen to secure the lives of people in Zamfara state, who have been attacked by bandits in recent times.

The senator, who was speaking while leading the debate on his bill that sought to repeal the Police Act and re-enact the Police Reform, said such action was not part of the APC manifesto.

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Source: Legit.ng