School abduction: Senate urges Buhari to declare state of emergency

Senate on Wednesday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately declare a state of emergency on security in the country.

Senate made the call following a point of order by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), on the abduction of students and staff of the Government Science Secondary School in Kagara, Niger State in the early hours of Wednesday.

The lawmaker said the terrorists who abducted the students and staff of the school were dressed in military uniforms.

Musa said the actual number of students abducted was not known but that the school had over 1000 students, adding that security agencies had informed that they were already on the trail of the terrorists.

Senate, therefore, demanded the implementation of its ad hoc resolution on security and urged the combined team of military and police to set up an operation to destroy terrorists’ cells across the country.

Another lawmaker from Niger State, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, said the kidnappers and bandits were emboldened by the successes being recorded in the state in recent times as about 100 people had so far been kidnapped in the state.

He said the forest from the FCT which extends to Niger up to Zamfara State was being used by the criminals, warning that the fact that the bandits have invaded Niger State was enough indication that the safety of lives and properties of FCT residents is being threatened.

Senator Bima Enagi, also from Niger State, declared that the Buhari regime was incompetent to handle security challenges in the country.

Enagi said, “We need to amend the constitution so that governors should be chief security officers of their states since the government at the centre had failed to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.

“The Federal Government is busy giving palliative instead of creating employment, thus aggravating insecurity.”

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the students’ kidnap was unfortunate, but stated that security agencies had challenges with personnel and funds.

Lawan said, “Abduction of students from school happens in the northern part of Nigeria.

“With incidences like this, parents would be scared to take their wards to school, and the efforts of the past and by present leaders at providing education would be defeated.

“Service chiefs have to secure the schools and have to carry the states along.”