By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The Senator representing Plateau Central, Diket Satso Plang (APC) yesterday disclosed that his house was attacked twice by bandits, saying it is time for Nigerians to tell each other sorry and start all over considering the level of insecurity ravaging the country.
Speaking with journàlists yesterday after the senate plenary, Plang said “My house in the village was attacked twice. In the first instance, when I was a candidate contesting for election as a senator, kidnappers came, kidnapped my mother, stepmother, our maid and killed my younger brother, who came out to challenge the bandits.
“They went away with their victims and demanded for ransom. They threatened to kidnap more people if I failed to pay the amount they demanded. By the grace of God, I was able to secure the release of my mother, stepmother.”
Speaking on accepting genuinely repentant bandits into the society, the lawmaker said “punishment is for correction, even God knows that we are not perfect, hence he gave us grace to repent. He accepts us when we truly repent. We should be able to accept true repentance because God creates room for true repentance.
“Nobody is perfect, so if there is genuine repentance, we should accommodate it. You don’t beat a child to kill him, but to make him know that he has done something wrong. At times, if there is true repentance from a criminal, give him a room, he might become a changed person.
“We should be able to give opportunity to whoever that genuinely repented to become a changed person. However, whoever that is pretending to be truly repenting with ulterior motives should not only be punished but get his punishment doubled.”
Meanwhile, after the motion he sponsored on the killings by bandits in Plateau State was debated, the Senate called on the Federal Government to address the general insecurity and incessant attack on Plateau State.
It also observed that continued and incessant attacks on the Plateau Central and other parts of Plateau State are taking toll on their economy, while agriculture is at an ebb, which might result to food crisis if urgent steps are not taken to curb the ugly trend.
The Senate commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment of new Service Chiefs in line With the yearnings of Nigerians and his readiness to tackle the insecurity in different parts of the country.
It called on the Service Chiefs to carry out on the spot assessment of insecurity in the troubled parts of the State to give people a sense of belonging and also serve as impetus for the military operations in those affected local government areas.
Senate further urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to cushion the hardship of the IDPs by providing them with basic amenities, especially building materials to rebuild their homes.
It also urged the Chief of Defence Staff to, as a matter of urgency, establish joint security posts in strategic locations in the state.
