By Sunday Isuwa, Ejike Ejike, Abu Nmodu, Isaiah Benjamin, Nonye Ekwenugo and OKECHUKWU OBETA
Few hours after the Nigerian Senate called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits terrorists, the daredevil gunmen attacked a community in Niger State, killing 30 people and abducting many others.
The Senate had yesterday called on Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, declare bandits as terrorists and wage a total war against them, urging the president to give orders to the military to eliminate them by bombing their hideouts.
The Senate also asked President Buhari to immediately declare all known leadership of the bandits wanted, and track them wherever they are for arrest and prosecution.
These formed part of resolutions reached yesterday after the chamber considered a motion on banditry in Sokoto during plenary.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Gobir (APC, Sokoto East).
Presenting his motion, the lawmaker lamented that Sokoto East Senatorial District has now become a safe haven for bandits, following a crackdown on them by the military in neighbouring Zamfara.
He expressed worry that on Saturday, September 25, this year, 21 security personnel were killed in Dama and Gangara villages by rampaging bandits.
The lawmaker disclosed that those murdered included 15 soldiers, three mobile policemen and three members of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, in addition to yet-to-be-ascertained number of civilians from the sorrounding villages.
“This has gone to portray the seriousness of the problem which require concerted and urgent action by the declaration of total war on banditry,” he said.
According to Gobir, “Losing such numbers of trained security personnel will further deplete the numerical strength of the security personnel we have in the country, therefore jeopardising the security architecture of the country.”
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