Reps invite President Buhari over killings, banditry – TheNigerialawyer

The House of Representatives on Thursday invited President
Muhammadu Buhari, to address the nation on measures taken to tackle
rising cases of killings, banditry, armed robbery and
kidnappings.

This followed a motion on the urgent “Need for Federal
Government’s Intervention on the Ongoing Wanton Killing of Innocent
Persons, Destruction of Property, Armed Robbery and Kidnappings by
Heavily Armed Bandits Operating Within Safana/Batsari/Dansamu
Federal Constituency”.

The motion was moved by Rep. Ahmed Dayyabu-Safana (APC-Katsina)
at plenary.

Dayyabu-Safana said that some villages within his constituency
had been serially attacked with many people killed by armed
bandits.

He said that as an immediate step in containing the evil
activities of the heavily armed bandits, the president should
urgently declare a state of emergency in the federal
constituency.

“The recent spate of the said attacks on members of my
constituency has reached an alarming stage as the perpetrators of
this act continuously kill innocent persons in my constituency.

“They set their homes ablaze while defenceless men and women are
abducted to an unknown destination.

“Up to four villages within my constituency are currently under
attack in the last 48 hours.

“The villages are Massa in Batasari Local Government Area, where
no fewer than five persons have been killed, Alhazawa in Safana LGA
has been totally displaced. Guzurawa village in Safana LGA also has
several persons murdered in cold blood.

“And just yesterday, Gobirawa Village came under attack with no
fewer than 12 dead bodies littered in the bush while many are still
missing.

“These killings have continued unabated and these bandits seem
to be unstoppable with a specific instance at Gobirawa Village in
Safana LGA.

“The bereaved villagers there are forced to abandon the corpses
during the burial and scamper for safety, when they sighted the
bandits coming back to launch another offensive,” he said.

He expressed worry that the bandits, who operated both at night
and in broad day light on motorbikes, paraded sophisticated weapons
including AK 47 assault rifles.

He added that they paraded other dangerous weapons which they
used in committing heinous crimes against his constituents.

The lawmaker said in spite of persistent cries from the affected
communities, the security operatives appeared not be proactive,
especially on security tips off and most times failed to respond
promptly.

“The fundamental duty of any government is the protection and
preservation of lives and property by being responsive in the face
of this type of cruelty and atrocity committed against its
citizen.

“It is the constitutional duty and responsibility of this
hallowed chamber to take action whenever these levels of inhuman
and brutal attacks are being inflicted on any community or group of
people,” he said.

Rep. Bashir Babale (APC-Kano), who said that “Infrastructure has
collapsed where banditry takes place”, compared the former
administration with the present one.

He said that it was wrong to have accused the erstwhile
government of being docile.

Rep. Gabriel Onyenweife (APGA-Anambra) said that “Nigeria is not
a safe country. The executive should take the lead and lead Nigeria
from a failed security state”.

Similarly, Rep. Chika Adamu (APC-Niger), who spoke with tears,
said the government must urgently find solution to the problem.

“We must do something, Mr Speaker, I can’t go to my village and
spend a night since the last one year,” he said.

Rep Useni Moriki (APC- Zamfara) said that his own local
government was not safe.

“What happened in Yobe, in Borno in the northeast is now
happening in northwest, in Zamfara, in my own local government,” he
said.

Also Rep. Abiante Awaji-Inombek (PDP-Rivers) said it was
different strokes for different people.

“Here we are, convinced that we have a problem on our hand but
outside of this place, some will tell you that Nigeria is more
secured than before. That tells you that we are not on the same
page,” he said.

Mr Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House, said it was necessary to
invite the President for an address since the issue of banditry had
become national.

The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to
a voice vote by the Speaker.

The House, therefore, urged the Federal Government to deploy the
military to the areas under attack to assist the police and other
security agencies in flushing out the criminal elements operating
in the constituency.

It also called for the declaration of state of emergency in the
area while urging the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
to urgently provide relief materials to the victims of the attacks.
(NAN)

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