The House of Representatives has called on executive arm of the federal government to as a matter of urgency, declare state of emergency on security towards curtailing the rising insecurity in the country.
The House in a resolution on Wednesday, also directed the military authority to henceforth stop camping of commuters overnight on the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road, as well as to rather establish a super camp in Auno, while allowI go commuters to proceed on their journeys even after 6:00pm.
These were fallout of a motion brought under matters of urgent importance by Chief Whip of the House, Tahir Monguno over the recent attack on Auno village, during which tens of lives lives were lost,lamenting that there were also reports of military personnel abandoning checkpoints, leaving commuters to their fate.
According to the lawmaker, because of the security challenges in the North-East Zone of the country, commuters on the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road are compelled to suspend their journeys once it is 6:00pm, adding that Auno Village is one of the spots where the Nigeria Army instructed commuters on the said road to spend the night before proceeding the next morning.
He recalled the unfortunate incident on Sunday 9 February, 2020, when commuters in their hundreds waiting in the Auno Village “were left to their faith or at best abandoned”, after which they attached by Boko Haram insurgents, who killed and kidnapped some, and burnt vehicles and houses.
Leading debate from the opposition camp however, Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu reiterated that the earlier calls by the House that Service Chiefs should be sacked due to incessant killings across the country. “I still stand by that call that the Service Chiefs have overstayed their leave. Our brothers and sisters who voted us in must be protected. Mr. Speaker, if care is not taken one day our brothers will match in here and ask us to leave due to what is currently going on in the country.
“We cannot be repeating one thing every time. I still stand by the earlier resolution of the House that the Service Chiefs have overstayed their, and they must go”, Elumelu stated.
