Security
Senator Barkiya insists bandits’ hideouts are known
***As senate urges FG to send fighter jets to drive terrorists from hideouts
Apparently piqued by the unending nefarious activities of bandits and Kidnapers in Katsina State and other parts of the country, Senator Kabiru Barkiya (APCKatsina Central) on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday admitted the Government and the rest of them know where the bandits are hiding.
Senator Barkiya was contributing to a motion on urgent need for Federal Government to take drastic actions to bring to an end the act of Banditry and Kidnapping in Faskari Local Government Area in Katsina State where 38 members of the community were kidnapped on Sunday.
Barkiya in his emotion laden voice said, “I can say that enough is enough, what is happening is that we should not only continue to condemn but we must also have to do something very serious.
Directing his comments at the authorities he seemed to be telling the Federal Government to do the needful by giving a marching order to the military to bomb the bandits in their hideouts since they had already been declared as terrorists.
“We can not just sit down after declaring these bandits terrorists and then allow them to continue with all these kidnaping.
“We have to look at it critically, the security agents may be doing their best but for me they need to do another best, just look at 38 person’s, how can they just kidnap 38 persons after declaring these people as terrorists why can we just go and bomb them.
“Condemning, condemning everyday is not enough. I am saying we can not continue to condemn, ask NEMA to do one thing or the other, we have to definitely look at it and then do something more seriously. We know where they are, everybody knows where they are.”
Senator Bello Mandiya (Katsina South) who sponsored the motion in his lead debate said the act of banditry and Kidnapping have become a daily incidence now in Katsina with consequence of lost of lives, means of livelihood and displacement of communities
He indicated that last Sunday being 31st January 2022 gunmen struck in Faskari Local Government in Katsina State where 38 members of the community were kidnapped
“The federal Government has made Frantic effort in curbing the menace by setting up operation of Sharan Daji an inter agency task force to tackle cases of banditry cattle rustling and kidnapping in Katsina State .
He expressed concern that the continuous security challenges and related attacks by bandits on towns, villages and communities in Faskari Local Government Area have meted untold hardship on the people and have subjected the affected areas under serious survival threat.
“If this menace is not drastically and promptly addressed, the consequence is going to be huge on food sufficiency since the affected communities are mostly farmers.
He urge the Security Agencies to comb all known hide outs of the kidnappers in a bid to rescue the Thirty Eight (38) persons abducted by the gunmen in Ruwan Godiya
He urged the Federal Government to send enough military personnel and tighter jets to apprehend the bandits and restore normalcy in these areas,
Making his contribution to the motion senator Muhammed Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) said it is a national disgrace that this thing is happening on daily basis adding that something needs to be done urgently
He however asked that the security forces be encouraged or supported. “We have to ensure that every part of this country has enough security agents to take care of every place. If it is the issue of recruitment in the army we should do so.
“We have provided support to the security agents, Last year alone supplementary appropriation we approved over N865b and this year’s budget we have about N1.3trn and we are getting little in terms of the outcome.
“By now we are supposed to have a very peaceful country but unfortunately on daily bases we hear people being kidnapped, killed. Enough is enough, there is need for security agents to do whatever is humanly possible to curb this menace. It is a national disgrace and something needs to be done.”
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his remarks said the repeated cases of kidnappings and killings makes it imperative for the military to “wake up” to protect Nigerians.
He wondered why full scale action was yet to be carried out by the military in spite of increased funding for security in the 2022 budget by the Executive and National Assembly.
He said, “The expectation of their Senate is that there is supposed to be a remarkable difference in success in terms of the fight against insurgence, banditry and militancy in Nigeria.
“The military is getting better funding from the government and what we expect is to see an improvement in output.
“I know the resources are not enough, but recently for one and a half years, government has upscaled the level of funding for our military.
“Secondly, when we declared the bandits as terrorists, my understanding was they are going to be dealt with ruthlessly now. I wonder whether that is the case.
“The military like some of our colleagues have said, need to wake up. We want to see a difference because we have made a difference in terms of funding.
“I know funding alone will not be enough, but funding can make a difference and we expect a difference in outcome.
“Thirdly, we need to mobilise our citizens, because when a hundred people are kidnapped and abducted, they are not taken by aircrafts, they are taken by motor bikes, pass through the villages and possibly towns, how come do we then say that nobody has seen something?
“We need our citizens to be part and parcel of our security architecture. In fact, there’s no way we can achieve better security for this country without the participation of the citizens in the fight against Insecurity.”
Accordingly, the Senate urged the Security Agencies to comb all known hide outs of the kidnappers in a bid to rescue the Thirty Eight (38) persons abducted by the gunmen in Ruwan Godiya.
It also called on the Federal Government to send enough military personnel and fighter jets to apprehend the bandits and restore normalcy in the affected areas
The Senate in it’s resolution urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, send fighter jets to flush out terrorists in their hideouts who are behind the kidnappings and killings of Nigerians.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Director General, Department of State Service (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to give full protection to the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon Leke Abejide from any arrest or detention by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the court barred the DSS, Police and Bello in separate orders, from inviting, arresting, detaining, or threatening the life and properties of the governorship candidate pending the hearing and determination of a suit instituted against them by the politician.
The judge issued the restraining orders on Wednesday in Abuja while ruling in an ex-parte application argued by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Sammie Somiari on behalf of the governorship candidate.
In the order signed by Justice Mohammed, the DSS, Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps were ordered to protect the properties of the politician in Abuja, Kogi State and in any parts of the country while the orders last.
The governorship candidate in the ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1248/2023 had sought for enforcement of his fundermental rights to life, dignity of person, personal liberty, fair hearing, peaceful assembly and association.
He also sought for his rights to freedom of movement and freedom from discrimination as enshrined in sections 33, 34,35,36,37, 38,40,41,42 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution and other relevant laws on human rights.
He complained that since he emerged governorship candidate and his campaign booming, governor Yahaya Bello had allegedly become jittery and threatened and opted to get him arrested and caged to keep him out of circulation.
Abejide who was recently in the House of Representatives from Kogi West side of Kogi State alleged that the ultimate aim of the Governor is to harass, intimidate, threaten and get him out of the November 11, 2023 governorship election at all cost to pave way for his anointed candidate in the All Progressive Congress (APC).
After listening to arguments of the senior lawyer along with tendered exhibits, Justice Mohammed issued the restraining orders against the respondents to the effect that the applicant must not be arrested, detained or harassed pending the resolution of his substantive suit.
“An Order is hereby made restraining the respondents, their agents, servants and anybody acting through or under them from arresting, inviting, detaining or threatening the applicant’s life and properties pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
“An Order is hereby made compelling the 2nd – 8th respondents to immediately provide maximum security to the applicant in Abuja FCT, Kogi State and elsewhere in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit”, the judge held.
The Judge ordered the applicant to serve all processes in respect of the suit on the respondents.
The respondents in the suit are the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Commissioner of Police (Kogi State), DSS, Director General of DSS, Director DSS (Kogi State) and the Commandant-General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The Judge thereafter, fixed September 20 for hearing of the substantive suit.
It will be recalled that the same Court had on July 13 ordered security agencies in the country to provide maximum protection for another governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the November governorship election in Kogi State, Murtala Ajaka following similar complaints of threat to life.
In the substantive suit filed on his behalf by Ogwu James Onoja SAN, the ADC governorship candidate prayed the Court for declaration that hounding, harassment, intimidation, threat to arrest, kill, detain by Kogi Governor, using armed officers, militias and thugs to stop him from participating in the November 11 election is a violation of his rights to life and dignity of his human person.
He also wants the Court to declare that the threat by Governor Yahaya Bello to attack, invade and destroy his motor vehicles, houses and offices so as to kill, arrest and detain him is a violation of his rights to peaceful assembly and association, freedom to life, dignity and personal liberty.
Abejide applied for an order of the Court restraining the respondents whether by themselves, their agents or privies from arresting, abducting, detaining, or further harassing, intimidating, shooting, threatening him and his properties.
The ADC governorship candidate also sought another order on Governor Yahaya Bello to pay him N2Bn for the alleged gross violation of his fundermental human rights in addition to tendering public apology.
In a 27-paragraph affidavit he personally deposed to in support of the originating summons, the plaintiff averred that the agents of the Kogi State Governor have allegedly laid siege on his house in Abuja since he became a front runner in the Kogi State Governorship election.
He claimed that his protest and complaints to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) did not yield fruitful results, hence, his decision toapproach the court for protection for his life and properties.
The Federal Government on Saturday expressed gratitude to the management of Tantita Security Services Limited for their efforts in pipeline protection in the Niger Delta region.
The Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, gave this commendation while answering questions from reporters during his tour of oil facilities in the Niger Delta.
Lokpobiri who was accompanied on the tour by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, among other Government officials, said the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is determined to stop all forms of pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the country.
Lokpobiri said: “We’re here because of the problem of pipeline vandalization and illegal bunkering that is going on in the Niger Delta.
“I believe that, it has become an existential problem and we need to fight them. We need to fight these criminals to submission.
“What is happening here is so bad that we cannot even know the implications unless maybe when people start dying in their numbers that is when people will know that a few persons were profiting from this crime are here to wipe all of them out.
“So as a responsible government we have decided that we are going to put a stop to it.
“We are going to work with stakeholders to ensure that we stop all this nonsense in our society. We are not going to allow them.
“I want to also use the opportunity to express our gratitude to Tantita that has been commissioned by the NNPCL to be able to do some work but we are going to do a lot more.”
On his part, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu said the Federal Governor will sustain its partnership with Tantita Security Services Limited, to curb the crime of pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
He added that the Federal Government will soon take additional measures to ensure that things change for the better in pipeline security.
Ribadu said: “We have done very well to get to where we are now. We are certainly going to take more measures. So far, things are beginning to change. Give us little time and you will see things change for the better.”
The President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio has raised the alarm over the invasion of the National Assembly complex by hoodlums who lay siege on senators, stressing that lawmakers now feel threatened by their presence.
He said as the 10th NASS settles down for legislative activities, hoodlums and people who do not have any business in the premises, stand or wait around without purpose at the Senate and Reps wings, begging and constituting security nuisance against lawmakers and staff of the National Assembly.
Akpabio spoke when he received in audience members of the National Assembly Service Commission, who paid a courtesy call on him at the NASS complex, in Abuja.
The Senate President’s lamentation came after the remarks by the Chairman of the NASC, Ahmed Kadi Amshi, who presented the challenges faced by the Commission and other issues to him.
Reacting to the issue of staff allowances raised by the Commission’s Chairman, Akpabio said he was aware of enormous resources channelled towards staff comfort, adding that everything was not about the welfare of staff.
While expressing displeasure over the infrastructural decay, filthiness and insecurity at the complex, the Senate President said there were cases of lawmakers being dispossed of their telephones and other valuables by the hoodlums who position themselves at strategic places and in front of offices.
He also raised concern aver the infrastructural rot and untidy environment in which the 10th Assembly operates.
Akpabio said, “we are aware that the entire complex is under renovation. We must also look after the environment. It is not all about the staff, we will like to see a cleaner environment and a secure complex.
“A lot of Senators have lost their telephones because of the influx of people into the complex”.
He reiterated the fact that the National Assembly remains the symbol of democracy, stressing that the 10th Senate is poised to make history through legislation.
Earlier, Amshi congratulated the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, saying they were experienced public officers.
He appealed to lawmakers to send the list of their legislative aides for documentation.
“By September let us finish the issue of legislative aides” Amshi said.
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