By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Nigerian Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to review strategies of security agencies and establish a task force to investigate implication of bandit negotiation.
The Senate adopted this resolution on Wednesday after a motion moved by Senator Nasiru Zangon on the urgent need to review security approach in addressing bandit attacks in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and Kebbi states in the North-West geopolitical zone of the country as well as in some North Central states in Nigeria.
The lawmakers also resolved that the Federal Government reintroduce patrol spots across states, to deter bandit incursions.
During an extensive debate on the matter, which has consistently been on the frontburner in the upper chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly, some lawmakers including Senator Aminu Tambuwal canvassed that a state of emergency be declared in regions that have become terror hotspots.
The recently recalled Senator Abdul Ningi noted that security agencies are either ill-equipped, afraid or incompetent to handle the bandits he said are between 5,000 and 10,000 in number.
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He categorically suggested that the President dictate a specific consequence and timeline to the appointed security chiefs, within which to tackle the bandits, if manifest results are expected.
Heritage Times HT reports that the North West and North East regions of Nigeria have been under escalated attacks by bandits who abduct students in high numbers from their schools.
They also attack religious houses killing worshippers, and sack communities.
With no particular ideological focus, the heavily armed group is empowered by huge sums of ransom collected from relatives of their abducted victims.
Despite several efforts to degrade the non-state actors by Nigerian security forces, they still impose threats to millions of locals across the northern region.
