Senators Jittery Over Fears Of Boko Haram Attack On Abuja

Senators on Tuesday expressed the fear that the Boko Haram insurgents may overrun the nation’s capital, Abuja, because of the attacks the deadly group had launched on neighboring states.
On Monday, the Governor of Niger State, Sani Bello, revealed that Boko Haram terrorists had taken over about 50 communities in the state.

Bello said the terrorist group is just some two hours away from Abuja.

As a way of addressing the issue, Senate resolved to send its leadership to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari. But no date has been fixed for the meeting.

The decision of the Senate followed a motion, moved through a point of order by Musa Sani from Niger State, tagged, “Activities of bandits and Boko Haram terrorists in Niger State”.

After a long debate, the Senate resolved that the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, will lead other principal officers of the upper legislative chamber, to meet with President Buhari.

It also resolved to summon the newly-appointed service chiefs to brief them on steps so far taken to salvage the situation. No date has, however, been announced.

“I can authoritatively confirm that the Boko Haram terrorist have mounted their flags in many of the villages they have captured such as Kaure, Alawa and Magami,” Sani said. “Inhabitants of these war-torn parts of the State have been abandoned and left to their fate thereby compelling them to wallow in perpetual agony and abject misery.”

Sani informed his colleagues that about 42 communities across the two local government areas of Shiroro and Munya Local Government have so far fallen under the Boko Haram control with about 5,000 villagers already displaced in the last three days.

“They have kidnapped many and their wives seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram members while three military camps in Allawa, Bassa and Zagzaga in the two local government areas have been sacked and some security personnel killed by the insurgents in the last one month of renewed attacks,” the lawmaker added.

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, in his submission, said the Government has lost its legitimacy to lead. He said since the primary responsibility of the Government is to protect the people, that has not been done.

He said: “Any Government that is impossible of securing the lives of the people has lost legitimacy. We have made beautiful suggestions and have had retreats on insecurity.

“Unfortunately, the recommendations haven’t been implemented. We need to do something about this and very fast too. If we need to shutdown Niger State or the Senate in order to find solutions, let us do that.”

Source: https://m.guardian.ng/Senators-jittery-over-fears-of-Boko-Haram-attack-on-Abuja

source http://www.nairaland.com/6526931/senators-jittery-over-fears-boko