Declare Bandits As Terrorists, Senate Tells Buhari

As bandits continue their unrestrained reign of terror in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and other Northwestern states, the Senate, yesterday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare them as terrorists in the country.

The red chamber also asked the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to wage a total war against the criminals, including bombing all their locations, to annihilate and eliminate them, while also declaring all known leadership of the bandits wanted and track them wherever they are for arrest and prosecution.

These were part of the Senate’s resolutions after considering a motion sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Gobir Abdullahi (Sokoto East), and co-sponsored by eight other senators.

At the plenary presided by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the lawmakers called for a declaration of total war against bandits and also directed relevant Federal Government agencies to give all necessary support to victims of the menace of banditry in Sokoto and other parts of the country.

Abdullahi, while moving the motion, raised the alarm that his Senatorial district has now become a safe haven for bandits due to the current crackdown in Zamfara.

He said last Saturday, 21 security personnel were killed in Dama and Gangara villages by rampaging bandits, in addition to yet to be ascertained number of civilians from neighbouring villages.

This, he said, portrayed the seriousness of the problem, which requires concerted and urgent action by the declaration of total war on banditry.

He added: “We are worried that losing such number of trained security personnel will, apart from depleting the numerical strength of the security personnel we have in the country, dampen the morale of our security agents in confronting insecurity, thereby jeopardising the security architecture of the country.

“We are concerned that while there is crackdown on bandits in Zamfara State, no concrete measures have been taken in Sokoto State, leaving it totally exposed to the activities of the bandits.

We are further worried that the present military onslaught on the bandits is not well coordinated because it is only being orchestrated in Zamfara instead of all the frontline states ravaged by banditry, i.e. Sokoto, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna. The operation should be holistic instead of restrictive produce effective and desired results.”

The Senate President, who expressed concern over the situation, reiterated the resolve of the National Assembly to appropriate more funds to tackle the menace of insecurity.

GUARDIAN NG