Insecurity: Reps Ask Buhari To Declare State Of Emergency

…Set To Audit Military Assets

Members of the House of Representatives have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately declare a state of emergency on security.

Considering the present situation, they believe this will ensure the fast track of all measures towards restoring peace in the country.

The call formed part of the resolutions reached at the closed-door session to discuss pressing national issues, which lasted about four hours on Tuesday at the lower chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.

Reading the other resolutions reached at the end of the meeting, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, noted that the House Security Committees were mandated to immediately commence comprehensive audit of all military and paramilitary assets and arms and revert back within four weeks.

The lawmakers condemned the attacks on security personnel and formations and parts of the country and sympatised with their families, as well as the families and communities that have been victims of banditry, terrorism, and criminal acts

They reiterated their commitment to the security and corporate existence of Nigeria and vowed to accelerate engagements with stakeholders on a special security summit to be organised by the House.

The House also resolved to urgently invite the National Security Adviser, service chiefs, and heads of various paramilitary agencies, as well as the Managing Director of Nigerian COMSAT to brief the lawmakers on the security situation in the country.

As part of measures to curb the spate of violence, the judiciary was asked to accelerate the prosecution of those awaiting trial for banditry, terrorism, and other criminal activities.

Similarly, the lawmakers called for the provision of relief to all communities that have been adversely affected by recent attacks across the country.

They also asked the President to ensure financial autonomy to local government councils to guarantee their functionality to serve the local populace.

The lawmakers called on the Federal Government to ensure the protection of national Infrastructure assets, particularly the Shiroro and Kainji Dams in Niger State.

According to them, the number of personnel in the police and military falls far short of the required number to effectively secure the country and immediate recruitment it required.