Worried by the worsening insecurity in the country, the Senate, on Tuesday, resolved to convoke a two-day security summit to proffer solution to the challenging menace.
The apex legislative Assembly passed the resolution following a motion titled: “Urgent need for a national security summit”, sponsored by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South Senatorial District.
While presenting the motion on the floor of the Senate during plenary, Ibrahim attributed insecurity to the global security challenges involving Russia and Ukraine.
According to him, the insecurity has become daunting due to new order in some of the advanced countries, citing the growing impact of the tariff war in America and the rising emphasis on balance of power by various countries.
He said: “The recent events in our region have led to feelings of discomfort and insecurity which has placed the past accomplishments of our security forces at risk even though our military and its partners are striving to address these challenges. They do not have solutions to the global economic conflict or the effects of new American tariffs and tensions with China.
“As a result, insecurity across Nigeria has become pervasive impacting on both urban and rural areas, where banditry, ransom kidnappings and terrorism are pressing issues across the country as well as other violent crimes.”
In his contribution, Senator Abdul Ningi representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, lamented that servicemen were being lost to bandits’ attacks each day across the country, noting that the country must rise to the occasion of taming the tide.
He said: “If care is not taken, bandits that are running Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi and Sokoto and I can assure you that you cannot go to Kwali in the Federal Capital Territory without encountering bandits now.”
Ningi insisted on security architecture to solve the security issues.
Senator Ennyinaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District, in his view, said that there was no one among Senators that did not know what was happening in his area, calling on lawmakers to get serious and be truthful in tackling insecurity.
Also contributing, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Abba Moro, decried daily kidnapping in Otukpo in Benue South Senatorial District, saying that national security summit would afford experts to suggest solutions.
He said: “Mr President, I want to say that what is before us now is whether we want to convene a national security summit or not, and if you ask me, I will say yes. Security is everyone’s business and in proffering solutions, all must be carried along,” he said.
The Senator representing Benue North West Senatorial District, Titus Zam, revealed that bandits were hosting flags in occupied wards in Benue State and to that extent, drastic action must be taken to recover the affected areas.
Reacting to the motion, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, approved a two-day national summit instead of the three-day as contained in the prayer of the motion.
Akpabio expressed optimism that the proposed summit would proffer solutions even as governors, traditional rulers, Service Chiefs and security experts will participate to suggest solutions to the worrisome situation.
