Insecurity: Senate seeks emergency recruitment of 100,000 men into military
To tackle the spike in security challenges across the country, the Senate at plenary Tuesday called for an urgent recruitment of at least 100, 000 men and officials into the military just as it set up an Ad – hoc committee to probe the fund expended so far on the Safe School Initiative .
This is as the lawmakers called for immediate rescue of the abducted 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School , Maga , Kebbi State from captivity by relevant security agencies .
These resolutions were consequent upon an urgent motion sponsored by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi( Kebbi North ) on 25 students of Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School Maga in Kebbi State in the early hours of Monday .
Senator Abdullahi in the motion said the abduction of the female pupils and killing of the School Vice Principal by bandits was a dirty slap on the face of Nation which must be seriously looked into and urgently addressed.
” This is a wake up call for the country as far as security and safety are concerned, because a Nation that cannot secure its children , is not worth living in “, he said
He lamented that if an end is not put to the abduction of pupils from their various schools , acquisition of knowledge by school age Nigerians , would be seriously undermined and by extension, stagnates the growth and development of the country .
The Senate Chief Whip , Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno ( Borno North ), in his contribution described the act as dastardly which according to him, must be risen against by all Nigerians .
Senator Francis Fadahunsi ( Osun East ) , in his contribution wonders why the criminality of banditry and terrorism still persist in the country despite the effort being put against it by President Bola Tinubu led federal government, warning that the Nation has to get rid of it before foreign powers intervene.
” The more President Tinubu struggles to end the banditry and terrorism , the more kidnapping continues . Crime is spreading every day . Nigerians must stand up against this impunity before we have problem from abroad “, he said .
Senator Sani Musa in his contribution said for banditry and terrorism to be effective curbed in the country , more officers and men , need to urgently recruited into the military to man the ungoverned areas being exploited by the criminal elements to carry out their heinous acts .
The need for probe of the Safe School Programme implemented after the Chibok girls abduction in 2014 , was suggested by Senator Ahmad Lawan ( Yobe North ) , in his contribution.
According to him, since Schools are not yet safe and secured for our pupils , there is need to probe the fund given and how expended that the expected results, are not being received.
The Senate after exhaustive debate on the motion , called for urgent rescue of the abducted school pupils , urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the military to recruit at least 100,000 officers and men as soon as possible for more potent war against banditry and terrorism in the country .
It mandated its committees on Finance , Education and Defence , to carry out thorough investigation on safe school fund instituted in 2014 and observed one minute silence for the Vice Principal of the School as well as Brigadier – General Uba Musa killed by ISWAP terrorists in Damboa , Borno State on Sunday .
In his remarks after adoption of the resolutions , the President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio said : “No country is free of crime—not even the United States. But our responsibility is to make laws, pass motions, and take decisions that reduce crime to the barest minimum. Crime is crime; it does not belong to any administration.
“We urge the Armed Forces and all Nigerians with useful information to assist in securing the release of these children and ensuring justice for the victims”.
