The Senate, Tuesday called on all relevant security agencies to intensify the mop up of small arms and light weapons in circulation across the states of the federation with a view to addressing the rising rate of insecurity.
The upper legislative chamber also urge the executive arm of government to take proactive measures to curtail insecurity and malicious killings ravaging parts of the country.
Adopting a motion, “Urgent need for the Senate’s intervention on the militia attack on Okokolo in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State”, by Senator Abba Moro (PDP Benue South) and four others, the Senate equally charged relevant security agencies to be proactive in order to forestall future occurrence of such ugly situation.
While condemning the attacks in Agatu communities, it directed the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA to immediately intervene to provide relief materials to the affected people.
Presenting the motion, Senator Moro said the June 30 attack occurred at his constituents in a church in Okokolo town and led to the death of over 25 persons, adding that “this has created fears, anxieties, and agonies among the settlers leading them to desert their homes”.
He said the illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons has contributed in no small measure to the attacks on the town.
He regretted, “these dastardly acts are being perpetrated against innocent persons of the Benue South senatorial district despite several peace agreements/accords entered into by the parties”.
The lawmaker warned that the protracted crisis within these Agrarian settlements presently will result in food shortage across the nation since farmers are finding it increasingly unsafe to go to their farms for the fears of being attacked.
Contributing, Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, stressed the need for government to beam its searchlight on the para-military agencies in charge of the nation’s borders so as to properly monitor immigrants into the country, pointing out that “80 per cent of the people we see around are not Nigerians”.
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, said that the National Assembly would work with the executive arm of government in order to address the rising level of insecurity in the country.
He particularly said the parliament might review some of the security laws with a view to improving on the security situation.
