News Post

As one of its legislative interventions to addressing the recurring menace of insecurity across the nation, the Red Chamber on Thursday, April 25, 2019 made another bold step towards mitigating the threat to lives and properties not only the urban areas as was the case in the recent past but  the rural communities currently ravaged by the dastardly act.

Moved by the escalating inhuman destruction of lives and properties, the Senate weigh in through a Motion entitled “Senseless killing of a Briton and the abduction of three others in a Holiday Resort in Kaduna State by Armed Bandits”. The Motion was sponsored by Sen. Shehu Sani and the other 108 Members of the Chamber.

The Senate was informed of the gruesome and gory attack on a Holiday Resort in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna. The killing of a 29 year old Briton, Faye Mooney and another Nigerian, Mathew Ugbeche as well as the abduction of three others on Friday, April 19, 2019 has worsened the situation. The Senate expressed sympathy and dismay over the wave and spate of armed banditry and kidnappings in most parts of the country without a formidable and technological approach to fighting the heinous crime.  

Worried by the recent attack on individuals, houses and villages, the Red Chamber described the appalling incident as one too many and there is no single person that has been brought to book as a result of the wanton killings as well as the so much emphasized efforts at combating the crime is not yielding fruitful result. 

The Chamber is more disturbed by the fact that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes tend to be gaining more courage to perpetrate their dastardly acts without fear of confrontation due to acclaimed superior fire power. The Motion scaled through with nine resolutions below:

1) Observe a minute silence in honour of the departed souls.

2) Urge the Security Operatives to intensify the search for the perpetrators and bring them to book.

3) Urge government to set up Inter-Agency Task Force to tackle cases of banditry and kidnapping in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Niger States.

4) Urge Security Agencies to give special security cover to foreign workers and tourists.

5) Urge Security Agencies to immediately deploy the use of drones and helicopters in tracking kidnappers asking for ransom.

6) Urge Community Leaders, Traditional Rulers and all Stakeholders to cooperate with Security Agencies.

7) Urge Telecommunication Companies to provide Security Agencies with information in areas where there are kidnappers.

8) Urge the Senate to send a delegation to the British Embassy and condole with the British Government.

9) Summon the Acting Inspector General of Police to brief the Senate next week on the state of insecurity and its preparedness in tackling the menace.

Meanwhile, the Senate has considered and passed for Third Reading the following legislation:

a) National Commission for Colleges of Education Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2019 (S.B. 661), standing in the name of Sen. Barau Jibrin (Kano North). Report on the Bill was presented before the Chamber for consideration by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND led by Sen. Jibrin. The Chamber resolved into the Committee of the Whole where all the clauses, short and long titles as well as explanatory memorandum of understanding of the Bill were approved as recommended or amended. Thereafter, it was read the Third Time and Passed.

b) Federal Cooperative Colleges Bill, 2019 (S.B. 415), standing in the name of Sen. Barau Jibrin (Kano North). Senate considered the Report on the legislation in the Committee of the Whole and approved all the clauses, short, long titles and explanatory memorandum of understanding of the Bill as recommended or amended, afterwards, it read the Third Time and Passed.

c) Federal University of Education, Kontagora, Niger State (Establishment, etc.) Bill, 2019 (S.B.689), standing in the name of Sen. Barau Jibrin (Kano North). The Bill was read the Third Time and Passed after the consideration and approval of all its clauses, short and long titles as well as explanatory memorandum of understanding as recommended or amended.

Similarly, three un-assented Bills returned by President Muhammadu Buhari recently due to some observations have been reconsidered and passed into law by the Senate. The passage of Bills followed the presentation of the Report of each of the Bills by the Technical Committee set up to address the observed clauses. On receipt of the Report of the Committee, the Senate resolved into the Committee of the Whole where all the clauses, short and long titles as well as the explanatory memorandum of understanding of the Bills were approved as recommended or amended. The Bills ultimately passed into law once again include:

a) Federal University, Wukari (Establishment, etc.) Bill, 2019.

b) Nigerian Film Commission Bill, 2019.

c) Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill, 2019.