Lawan Urges Service Chiefs To Repel Attacks, Assault By Bandits

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, speaks during a session in the Senate Chamber in Abuja.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has called on the Service Chiefs and security agencies in the country to immediately swing into action by repelling the attacks and assaults by armed bandits on Nigerians across some states in the north, as reported by  Channel's News

Lawan made the call on Wednesday after consideration of a motion brought to the floor by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).

He said, “The motion we have just taken is a very serious one and I would urge the security agencies to act as quickly and expeditiously as possible to repel the attacks and assaults by the bandits.

“The essence of any government is the protection of lives and properties, and this is what we have to do for our citizens as an administration and as a government.

“We hope that this situation will be brought to an end and we will do everything possible, working with the executive to ensure that we secure the lives of our citizens and their properties.”

Earlier, Senator Sani Musa, in his motion, said confirmed reports from Madaka ward, Burwaye, Tagina, Gaude, Ungwar Sarki Noma, Gyaramiya, Maganda, Samunaka, Kurmi villages of Alawa, all in Rafi and Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, have been under attack.

According to the lawmaker, “many people have been killed and abducted including the District Head of Madaka.”

He bemoaned that “these attacks continued without any presence of Security Personnel in the Communities leaving them in the hands of the bandits.”

He added that “the current criminal wreckage among other havoc on fire Victims, set many homes on fire and carted away many cattle and other valuable assets worth millions of naira.”

The Senate, accordingly, urged the Service Chiefs and other Security Agencies to deploy immediately troops and materials to tackle the menace and to change the Security architecture of the area to forestall and bring back peace and order.

The upper chamber also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to the affected areas in view of the harsh harmattan weather experience across Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Wednesday swore in Smart Adeyemi as a Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

The lawmaker was sworn-in immediately after the adoption of the votes and proceedings for Tuesday, December 3, 2019, moved by Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi East) and seconded by Obinna Ogba (PDP, Ebonyi Central).

The oath was administered by the Clerk of Senate, Nelson Ayewoh.

Adeyemi was early this week declared winner of the Kogi West Senatorial election, having defeated Senator Dino Melaye after the court annulled an earlier victory awarded Melaye.

Melaye and Adeyemi had contested the November 16 Senatorial rerun election in the state to represent the people of Kogi West Senatorial district but the election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

According to the results from the concluded elections last Saturday, Adeyemi polled 88,373 votes while Melaye recorded 62,133 votes, and was accordingly declared the winner by the Returning Officer, Olajide Lawal.