Banditry: Senate asks FG to beef up security at flashpoints in Katsina

The senate has urged the executive arm of government to implement its reports on rising insecurity in the country.

The upper legislative chamber also called on police, army and other security agencies to “flush out” bandits operating in Katsina state.

The resolutions of the senate were sequel to a motion sponsored by Bello Mandiya, senator representing Katsina south, on Tuesday.

“While Katsina state, like the rest of the country is groaning under the current plight of the coronavirus pandemic, the plight of indigenes in the state is daily being compounded by the marauding bandits who have left many people in complete fear and despair,” the senator said.

“Apart from the attacks that has been ongoing for months, which were mostly unreported, very recently between Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th May, armed bandits carried out multiple attacks on several communities in Faskari, Kankara, Sabuwa, Dandume, Batsari and Jibia local government areas of the during which the divisional police officer (DPO), Aminu Abdulkareem, was shot.”

The senator said the DPO is yet to recover from the injury he sustained when he came in contact with gunmen.

“These communities are becoming desperate and may resort to self-help leading to a state of anarchy,” he said.

“There is an urgent need to once again draw the attention of the federal government, particularly the security agencies comprising the Nigerian police, the Nigerian army and other relevant security agencies to the grave situation in Katsina state.”

The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

In the previous and current assemblies, the senate set up ad hoc committees to proffer solutions to the country’s security challenges.

The scrapping of the Almajiri system and community policing are part of the recommendations in the report.

The upper legislative chamber also wants the police, army and other security agencies to work with its relevant committees in amending “defective laws” establishing these organisations.