Ahead of resumption of Senate for plenary this week, issues of insecurity, planned relocation of some departments in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to Lagos, among others, top agenda. TAIYE ODEWALE reports
Security Challenges
Like previous governments before it in the current 4th republic since 1999, most pressing issue before the President Bola Tinubu led federal government, is the unabating security challenges, often called, insecurity, being faced in some states of the Federation, particularly, those within the Northern axis, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT, Abuja).
Phases of the Security Challenges
The security challenges which under former President Olusegun Obasanjo-led federal government from May 1999 to May 2007, were mainly communal clashes or ethno-religious crises, moved into the realm of insurgency in Borno state by a group famously known and called Boko Haram, during the late President Umaru Musa – Yar’Adua ‘s Presidency in 2009.
Though the Boko Haram insurgents were decisively dealt with by President Yar ‘Adua (late) in July 2009 through military action taken against them but the insurgents, after a year of going under ground; came out in 2010 under former President Goodluck Jonathan led federal government in more daring ways and spread to Adamawa and Yobe states with spates of bombings, burning of settlements and abduction of people.
The Boko Haram insurgency as the most worrisome security challenge during former President Goodluck Jonathan-led federal government from May 2010 to May 2015, even spread to Kano, Kaduna, Plateau and Taraba states, aside Abuja that they gave devastating dosages of bombings through suicide bombers with attendant loss of innocent lives and destruction of property worth billions of Naira.
Infact, the Boko Haram menace made President Jonathan lose the 2015 Presidential election to General Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, despite decapitating the Boko Haram insurgents within the first four years of his Presidency, Muhammadu Buhari led federal government still faced serious security challenges from Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgencies as well as banditry and kidnaping inherited by President Bola Timubu led federal government on May 29, 2023.
The banditry and kidnapping aspects of the security challenges gave the Tinubu’s presidency baptism of fire from June last year to January this year with intensity of occurrences, the most disturbing of which were the attacks carried out in some villages of Plateau state on eve of Christmas 2023 which claimed close to 200 lives.
Apprehension, trepidation by Nigerians
Added to that were series of kidnappings carried out in Abuja in January this year by bandits from which innocent lives were lost, apprehension and trepidation suffered by residents.
The height of the trepidation was the call made by 500 women groups under the aegis of ‘Womanifesto’ for immediate resumption of National Assembly from its recess.
Womanifesto, in a jointly signed statement by coordinators of the various 500 groups, said: “The people of Nigeria deserve to live in peace and security, and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that this is the case.
“We urge national lawmakers to take immediate action to address the insecurities and kidnappings in Nigeria.
“As enshrined in Section 14(2b) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, the welfare and security of the citizens shall be the primary purpose of the government.
‘”The Constitution also guarantees the right to life, liberty, and personal security of every Nigerian citizen.
‘Nigerians have felt the brunt of this crisis and have had to crowd-fund ransoms payable to criminals. Despite this, victims of kidnappings are still being murdered by criminals, leaving the nation in a dire state of distress.
“The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reveals that over 380 people were kidnapped in Nigeria between December 1, 2023 and January 3, 2024. The number of reported kidnapped persons in Nigeria between June 2022 and July 2023 increased to 3,620 an analysis of data from SBM Intelligence reveals.
“Additionally, government statistics for Abuja show 40 kidnapping cases involving 236 victims between January 2021 and June 2023. We however believe that the exact number of people kidnapped in Nigeria in 2024 may be higher.
“In the midst of this crisis, Womanifesto finds it unimaginable that the National Assembly extended it’s holiday after a 3-week Christmas and New Year recess.
“This action, we believe, reeks of nonchalance and lack of empathy by those elected to represent the interest of Nigerians. This action is grossly unacceptable to us.
‘We demand that the National Assembly calls off this recess and resumes plenary immediately.
“The constant threat of violence and kidnapping has left many Nigerians feeling unsafe and vulnerable. Women and children are particularly at risk, with reports of kidnappings and sexual violence on the rise. This is continued holiday is unacceptable and must be addressed urgently.
“While we applaud recent efforts by security agencies in rescuing some of the kidnapped victims, we demand that the government takes concrete steps to ensure the safety of its citizens. Our security forces must be anticipatory rather than reactionary”.
Expected actions from NASS
Being one of the burning issues in the country, both Chambers of the National Assembly, are expected to on resumption for plenary this week, entertain and carry out debates on expected motions on insecurity from members.
Aside expected motions from members, security summits may also be held separately by both chambers with the Service Chiefs and heads of security agencies as done by previous assemblies.
The House of Representatives, had already unfolded plan for that purpose while in the Senate, Senator Ireti Kingibe, penultimate week, declared that the Senate would invite the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for questioning on increasing wave of insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory and what are being done to stem the tide.
