Borno attacks: Terrorism has no place in our society… citizens must be protected, say reps

The house of representatives has condemned the suicide bomb attacks in Borno state.

The lower legislative chamber was reacting to the attacks during Tuesday’s plenary after the adoption of a motion of public importance sponsored by Ahmadu Jaha, a lawmaker representing the Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok federal constituency of Borno.

On Saturday, suspected female suicide bombers detonated explosives in Gwoza LGA of the state, killing many people. 

The victims were returning from a wedding ceremony when the first suicide bomber detonated an explosive near a motor park.

Another bomber, who disguised herself as a mourner, also detonated an explosive as residents were preparing for the burial of those killed in the first attack.

While moving the motion, Jaha said the attacks resulted in the deaths of 30 residents, “causing immeasurable grief and suffering to the affected community, with many battling with their lives at the various hospitals”.

“The despicable nature of these attacks underscores the ongoing threat posed by terrorism in our nation,” he said.

Jaha said that in addition to the 30 people killed, “more than 136 people are critically injured” and are receiving treatment in various hospitals in Maiduguri, the state capital.

The lawmaker said the suicide bombers were “recruited and brainwashed” and “imported” to Gwoza.

“We cannot continue to be complacent. Complacency is one of the reasons why this thing happened in my constituency,” he added.

THE DEBATE

Contributing to the motion, Dasuki Abdussama from Sokoto said security chiefs who are not doing their jobs should be fired.

“We had a jailbreak; nobody has been sacked. People are killed; nobody has been sacked. It is high time we find somebody responsible,” Abdussama said. 

“The earlier we look for a scapegoat — which is justifiable, These guys have not lived up to expectations. Every single day, we have a minimum of three security motions, and lives are lost.

“It is high time we came up with a resolution. I think more than 50 percent of the resolutions of the 10th assembly are security-related.

“So, let’s find the culprit. We have our committees that are living up to expectations. They can look at those who have not done what is expected of them, and somebody should be held responsible.”

In his contribution to the debate, Balaji Benson from Lagos said the house committee on constitutional amendments must prioritise state police.

The lawmaker said the number of police officers in the force is not enough to do the job.

Yusuf Gagdi from Plateau said the security-related committees must meet the expectations of the parliament by holding the agencies they oversee accountable for their actions, ensuring the breakdown of law and order is addressed.

Gagdi said the committees should neither befriend nor antagonise security agencies but hold them to account.

The motion was unanimously adopted after a voice vote by Ben Kalu, the deputy speaker, who presided over the house.

After the resolution, the house said, “terrorism has no place in our society, and we are committed to taking all necessary measures to protect the lives and security of our citizens”.

The house mandated  the committee on national security and intelligence to investigate the matter and submit its report within two weeks.