Benue robbery: APC rep says security yet to improve despite new service chiefs

Philip Agbese, a member of the house of representatives, says the security situation in the country has not improved despite the recent appointment of new service chiefs.

Agbese, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke on the floor of the green chamber during the plenary session on Tuesday.

The lawmaker was contributing to a motion moved by Blessing Onuh, an APC lawmaker representing Otukpo/Ohimini federal constituency of Benue, calling on the house to investigate the recent robbery attack and killings of bank officials, residents and security personnel in the Otukpo community of the state.

Agbese, who represents the Ado/Ogbadigbo/Okpokwu federal constituency of Benue, said the robbery attack can “only be imagined” as events in movies.

“If you watch the video (of the attack) Mr Speaker, colleagues, you will agree with me that if we fail to say that the security apparatus in this country has not failed, then we are not doing justice to what has happened,” he said.

“We must agree that our security situation in the country has not improved since the time you were elected as the right honourable speaker of this house.”

On June 19, President Bola Tinubu appointed new service chiefs after he retired those who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Agbese added that the security in the country has not improved despite the change of the leadership of armed forces, saying the situation has only grown worse.

“We would also agree that when the president came on board, he made an effort to rejig the leadership of the security agencies but as we speak, the situation seems to have moved from frying pan into the fire,” he said.

“I want to call on this house that if we don’t want to come back next week to debate on similar issues of robbery, and terrorist attacks in other parts of the country, this parliament should send a message to Mr president and the security agencies that their good at the moment is not good enough.”

The legislator said the security chiefs should be shown the exit door if they are unable to secure the country.

THE MOTION

While moving the motion, Onuh said four banks — Stanbic IBTC, Zenith, UBA and First Bank — were attacked by the gunmen.

“Several persons were killed in the bank premises and many others sustained gunshot injuries,” she said.

Onuh said residents are traumatised and feeling “greatly” unsafe to go about their regular activities.

Also speaking, Ahmed Jaha, a lawmaker from Borno, said the incident was not a robbery incident but a terrorist attack.

“This is a terrorist attack, whether we like it or not. I have not seen a situation whereby armed robber can do this kind of attack,” he said.

He said security activities have been turned into a “cash cow business”.

Jaha added that the parliament should “look into the way and manner” expenditure is made in security-related agencies and ministries.

THE RESOLUTION

The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house.

The house asked the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to urgently arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the attack.

The house also asked the government to increase the security architecture within the town and its environs to prevent recurrence.