Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central), Tuesday, lamented that the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has lost control of security, especially as it relates to protection of lives and property of Nigerians.
Senator Sani, who spoke under Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule on matter of urgent national importance at the plenary, raised the alarm that armed herdsmen and bandits have taken over Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to him, Birnin-Bwari, which borders Niger and Zamfara states, has been under siege in the last two years by armed bandits, with many people either killed or abducted, villages sacked, with farming occupation stopped.
He described the incessant killings as a manifestation that President Buhari was losing grip of governance, just as he took a swipe at those he described as opportunists in the Villa, who he lamented have refused in telling Nigerians the truth that Buhari was failing in governing the nation.
Sani said members of the executive should tell people the truth, put politics aside and save Nigerians from being killed by the armed bandits, adding that “at the moment, we are living in self-denial where we cannot tell ourselves the truth against the backdrop that people are now buried in politics”.
The lawmaker, therefore, called on the government to ensure permanent military presence in Birnin-Gwari and Chikun local government councils in Kaduna State.
“I have an issue in a local government in one of my constituency; it is called Birnin-Gwari local government (area). This local government (area) borders on the states of Zamfara, Kebbi, and Niger states. This local government (area) in the last two to three years has been under siege of armed herdsmen and bandits.
“The bandits have made life intolerable for the people of that part of the state. Many villages in this local government (area) have been sacked, farmers don’t go to their farms nowadays, many of the citizens reside in that local government (area) are now in the capital. Of concern is the fact that killings and abduction have been a daily affair, it is one issue that has not been able to get the national attention of the global spotlight.
“Just few days ago, about seven persons were killed, and continually the killings have been so on a daily basis that even the media don’t take much time to give it a space in their pages of newspapers. I am deeply concerned that the government is losing the grip that we cannot guarantee the safety of lives and property in this country, and I think we have lost the essence of our being in government”, he stressed.
In his remarks, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided called on the Federal Government to step up in the protection of lives and property, even as he urged the government to do sometime about the massive killings across the country.
“Let me on behalf of this Senate send our deep condolences to those who lost their lives in the incident that happened in those local government areas of your state.”
