Ahmad Lawan, the senate president, has said the upper chamber would hold an “all-inclusive” national summit on security.
This will come 14 months after it held a summit to review the security situation in the country.
The summit was drafted to provide an all-inclusive platform for Nigerian leaders with a view to finding solutions to challenges posed by insecurity. After the summit, the committee set up to oversee the summit, presented its report with 20 recommendations to improve security – which was adopted by the senate.
Mr Lawan made the announcement during plenary on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, as the lawmakers deliberated on a motion on the state of insecurity and gruesome murder of Funke Olakunrin sponsored by Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo Central).
Mrs. Olakunrin was killed Friday morning by suspected Fulani herdsmen. She was the daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, a leader of the Yoruba group, Afenifere.
In his motion, Mr Akinyelure stated that there had been a series of such attacks on Benin-Ore expressway and many other major highways across the federation.
He said travellers now feel largely insecure to travel on those roads because of recurring attacks and security agencies have not satisfactorily resolved the crisis across the country.
Contributing to the motion, Tolulope Odebiyi (APC, Ogun West) stressed the need to demand action by our security forces and the presidency.
According to him, nothing done by the Senate will work except security is improved.
“Continuous killings like this brings a feeling of hopelessness that nothing is being done. If necessary, let’s send a delegation to the presidency to sit and discuss an action plan to be taken.
The Senate thereafter drew the attention of the federal government to the continuous rising cases of insecurity in different parts of the nation. It also condemned the murder of Ms Olakunrin and commiserated with the family.
The lawmakers called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and other service chiefs to apprehend the culprits in the killing of Ms Olakunrin and bring them to justice accordingly.
The Senate urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency to accelerate actions on fixing potholes on major highways which serves as spots for the bandits.
The lawmakers admonished state governors and local government chairmen to cooperate and collaborate with needed logistics in their respective states.
They also directed the budget office and the Senate Committee on Appropriation and Defence (when constituted) to ensure that necessary funds are allocated in the 2020 appropriation bill for the operations of a joint patrol of armed forces and other security agencies.
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