WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE SENATE MEETING WITH SECURITY CHIEFS

!

The Senate on Thursday demonstrated a strong commitment to ending the growing attacks on communities and destruction of private property by Fulani herdsmen.

The Senate summoned the country’s Security Chiefs to appear before it to explain the steps they have taken to check the killings by armed militias.

Its action was prompted by last Monday’s killings of residents of Nimbo community in Enugu State by rampaging Fulani herdsmen.
 

Besides inviting the Security Chiefs, the Upper Chamber also set up a six-member ad-hoc committee drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country to look into the menace of the herdsmen and proffer solutions to it.

The lawmakers charged the security agencies to improve on their intelligence-gathering capacities and be proactive rather than reacting to threats to internal security, especially in cases where there are credible intelligence to act upon.

They further urged the security agencies to enforce the laws on arms bearing by unauthorised persons in the country to stop illegal possession of arms by people with clandestine motives to harm others.

The Upper House also called on the Nigeria Police to expedite action on the establishment of the Rapid Response Police Unit around communities where Fulani herdsmen have carried out attacks.

It called upon the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other related agencies to dispatch relief materials to Nimbo, Nkpologu, Uvuru, Ugbene-Ajima and Adani in Enugu State to ameliorate the living conditions of the victims of the herdsmen at¬tack, who have become Internally Displaced Persons.

The Senate made these resolutions following a motion moved by Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North) under Matters of Urgent Public Importance.

In his lead debate, Senator Utazi told the Senate that the people of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in Enugu State were attacked by Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Monday, killing about 38 persons, with hundreds sustaining various degrees of injuries.

He expressed concern that property, including churches, were also destroyed by the herdsmen.

He said that an intensive search was still on to recover some dead bodies, while those recovered had been deposited in various hospitals in the state.

He lamented that the situation had thrown the affected towns and villages, including the neighbouring communities where people ran to take refuge, into a serious panic.

The lawmaker raised the alarm that attacks in the council by herdsmen had become a pattern, noting that the area was living in fear of extermination.

Senator Utazi, who lamented the uncountable heinous attacks of herdsmen on innocent citizens, said that the terrorist group hiding under the guise of cattle rearing had killed several thousand citizens in the last three years.

In their contributions, most senators cautioned on the dangers of the activities of the herdsmen in the country, warning that it posed a great threat to national unity and peaceful coexistence.

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Sola Adeyeye, suggested that state and local government Police should be established for effective policing of towns and villages in the country.

Senator Ben Murray Bruce (Bayelsa East) described the herdsmen as the worst terrorist organisation in the world today.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha said he raised a motion on the floor of the Senate that Boko Haram were claiming to be Fulani herdsmen and invading, robbing and killing people but was not taken seriously.

Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, dismissed insinuations that the Fulani herdsmen emerged from Mali, Niger Republic and other West African countries, saying that 96% of the invaders are Nigerians. He cautioned that concrete steps should be taken to forestall future occur-rences as Nigeria cannot afford a second civil war.

Senator Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu East) said his people were warming up for a reprisal attack and that they have asked him to go to the chamber and declare the Republic of Biafra since the Federal Government cannot guarantee their security in the Nigeria state.

In his remarks, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, asked the Executive arm of government to live up to its responsibilities by promptly attending to the needs of the people.

He said: “I believe it is important that while the Executive is also making efforts, as parliamentarians, we must be seen to be doing something be¬cause the people see all of us as being part of government. We must show some sensibility in matters concerning our people.”

He named the members of the Ad-hoc Committee to look into the menace of herdsmen as Ali Ndume (Chairperson) – North East; Isiaka Adeleke – South West, Mao Ohunbunwa – South East; Abdullahi Adamu – North Central, Shehu Sani – North West and Ben Bruce – South South.

Ekweremadu mandated the committee to commence work next week, including holding public hearings on the issue.

Meanwhile, the South East Senate Caucus has warned of imminent danger and possible threat to the unity of Nigeria if the Federal Government fails to address the Enugu massacre by the marauding herdsmen.

After an emergency meeting in Abuja, the Senators called for a summit of the South East and South-South State Governors, members of National and State Houses of Assemblies, socio-cultural associations, traditional rulers and major stakeholders.

The emergency summit, according to the lawmakers, is to review and evaluate the scary situation and proffer a coordinated response to ensure the security of the lives and property of their people.