…Ask its C’ttee to invite IG, Army Chief for investigation
By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives on Wednesday called for an urgent need to rescue Traditional Rulers of Panyam District, and abate incessant spate of kidnapping and banditry in Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency and other parts of Plateau State and Nigeria as whole.
The House equally mandated the House Committee on Police Affairs and Army to invite the IG and the Chief of Army Staff, with view to investigate the matter, and report back to the house within two weeks for further legislative inputs.
The House also urged the Federal government to direct the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Defence Staff and other relevant security agencies to immediately do everything possible to ensure the safe release of the monarch and many others in kidnapper’s captivity across the country, including victims of Kaduna Train attack.
The House resolutions of the House followed a motion under matters of urgent National public importance by Hon. Engr. Solomon Bulus Maren.
Moving the motion, Hon Solomon noted that, bandits numbering in dozens purportedly abducted his Royal Highness, Aminu Derwan, a traditional ruler (District Head, of Panyam) in Plateau State, during an attack on his residence in Panyam, Mangu Local Government Area, after terrifying residence with gunshots in the early hours at Monday.
He also noted that, the bandits who were more than 40 came heavily armed, shooting sporadically and firing gunshots which left the community scared and helpless and eventually went away with the traditional ruler.
He said: “The kidnapped of the District Head is the latest in a series of abductions targeted at traditional rulers and the clergyman in the state, for instance on Sunday last week, the Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria in Jos Rev, James Kentoma and a traditional ruler in the State, Ugoh Ababs, were kidnapped by gunmen in their residence respectively.
He stated that, sometimes last year and early this year, the Sumpyam, a paramount ruler of Gindiri Chiefdom and the District head Of Pushit were both at separate attacks abducted by miscreants and Bandits, respectively, they were however released after huge ran some was paid.
The Lawmaker worried that, :Bandits have taken their dastard acts to high ways, villages and even cities including some parts of the federal capital territory.
“The spate of kidnappings, abductions and attacks, has been systematic, well coordinated and targeted across the constituency, the state and indeed the country which is alarming and of grave concern.
He stressed that bandits are usually having a field day in carrying out and in perpetrating their heinous activities without any from resistance, challenge and or confrontation from the security agents.
“Hitherto, little or nothing has been heard of any serious or deliberate actions taking to curb, forestall or even arrest and prosecute these hoodlums.”
According to him, “Unless something is done deliberately in fact, urgently to reduce, stop and or curtail this ugly occurrences which has become a recurrent decimal, our communities may soon be thrown into total terror, fear and or lawlessness.
The motion was unanimously adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Idris Wase.
The House therefore urged the Federal Government to increase the recruitment of more hands in the Security Agencies and ensure they are properly funded to march the challenges in place.
Contributing to the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase said “I beg to speak on this particular issue base on the bastardy that is happening in the plateau
When Hon. Solomon came to me about the incident, I showed him the numbers of the video and the pictures in my constituency, people today are looking for refuge, the number of villages that have now been sacked are quite very large number, I have present three (3) motions so far to this floor on this particular matter, house are taking very fast resolutions as what will take to solve the matter, but unfortunately, Mr speaker, we are moving in to raining season now, and there is virtually no one or two days passed in my constituency without kidnapped, adopted and taking ransom from villagers, who go out to suffer to make their own living, taking Ramson not less than Ten million naira.
“Mr Speaker, am pained, it is painful, and every Nigerian should be concerned about what is happening
Mr speaker, I want to tell you, and tell the house that, as of today, I have lost people even after these kidnappers take money, I have lost close to 5 people.
“They will take the Ramson and then kill the person at times, this use to take place where you have a small security person, they will go there shoot sporadically and adopt people and go away, not more than 3-4 days ago, we lost close to a thousand cows in my own constituency, they came wrestle the cows from the cages, and ran away with them, and the villagers and our locals left .
“Even pursue where these villagers are and confronted them, and I am no so worried, that I have to do a personal visit to Various Peace Agencies, we will see how we can put heads together to solve this matter.
And am pained that after the resolution of the house urging these peace Agencies to put out formation in some of these areas so that we will be able to stop these unpleasant situations, but till this moment, nothing has happened.
“It shows that,the resolutions of the house is not taking any effect on all these unpleasant killings and kidnappings, if, the resolutions of the house has been taken serious, by now all these would have stopped”.
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