Insecurity: Secure Nigeria’s highways, Senate tells Service chiefs

…Says nation’s internal security has collapsed and situation beyond FG’s capacity

…Seeks meeting with Buhari, calls for security summit to address challenges

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Miffed by the increasing rate of insecurity in the country heightened by the gruesome murder of Mrs. Funke Olakunri over the weekend, the Senate has tasked security chiefs to commence joint patrol of Nigerian major highways to protect travellers.

Agreeing that the nation’s internal security has collapsed and the situation gone beyond the capacity of the federal government, the Senate urged the government to urgently convey a national security summit to address the perennial issue.

As an immediate measure, the senators called for an urgent meeting with the President for actions that will restore internal security and ensure the protection of lives and property.

The Upper Chamber as well charged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to maintain potholes on major highways which are usual hideout of hoodlums.

It also urged state governors and local government chairmen to cooperate and collaborate with needed logistics in their respective states and local government in this respect.

The Senate directed the Budget Office and the Senate committees on Appropriation and Defence to ensure that necessary funds are allocated in the 2020 Appropriation Bill for the operations of lying patrols of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.

These resolutions were part of decisions of the Senate during a debate on a point of order raised by Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central) over “Insecurity in Nigeria and Gruesome Killing of Funke Olakunrin,” daughter of Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, at plenary on Tuesday.

Akinyelure condemned the gruesome murder of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin by the unknown gunmen and commiserated with the family of the nonagenarian and elder statesman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, on the grievous loss of his daughter in the unfortunate gun attack.

He called on the Inspector General of police, the service chiefs to urgently extend security dragnet to apprehend the culprits in the killing of Mrs. Olakunrin and other cases of attacks and kidnappings and bring them to justice.

Contributing, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo (Ondo South), said “it is obvious that our internal security is in shambles. It is nothing to write home about. They have not even started anything at all. We don’t have any internal security. So we cannot even be talking of Next Level.

“We need a robust conference on our security arrangement in this country because now we are talking of a person that was killed on Friday. What about those people that we don’t even know?

“We cannot be coming here and be complaining and be passing the buck to the Federal Government. It is beyond Federal Government. All of us must cry out. And we must all sit down together and address this issue so that an average Nigerian can be guaranteed of his or her safety.

Senator Tolu Odebiyi (APC, Ogun West), said: “We have to demand an action by security forces. We have to demand an action by the Presidency.

We need to stand up and find a solution to this problem. There is nothing that we do here that appeal if we don’t get our security situation right in this country.

“Only last week, we discussed here the issue of Continental Free Trade Agreement and to my surprise, Ghana has now been made the headquarters of the agreement.

“This is a major loss for this country. Economically, it has major impact and these are the implications when you don’t get your security situation right.

And we cannot watch everyday coming here, mourning, grieving, having one minute of silence as innocent Nigerians are being killed and no action is being taken.

“There is a feeling of hopelessness that nothing we do here has effect”.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said: “We should have a one robust National summit on the security situation of this country.

Instead of taking more time in this we go through the prayers and try to organise the National Summit in security to address the situation.”

He added that the killing of Funke was unfortunate.

Lawan further said: “Let me one again mention that the security situation of this country is perverse and every part of the country has in story or another to tell of the situation.

“So it will be the duty of this Senate to hold all encompassing and all inclusive National Summit on Security including the third arm of government of course because we have to work together with them to address this situation, therefore the different and various interventions alluded today will be taken into consideration.

The call by the Senate for a summit on security is coming about a year after a similar summit was held in February 2018 at the height of herdsmen killings in some parts of the country.