Reps want Army chief, IG to tackle insecurity in Yobe
The House of Representatives has urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to deploy additional security hands to Fika/Fune Federal Constituency, Yobe State to address the security challenges in the area.
The motion was brought forward during plenary on Thursday by a member representing Fika/Fune Federal Constituency, Mohammed Jajere.
Leading the debate on the motion, Jajere said that the state of insecurity in the Fika Local Government Area and its environs has assumed a troubling dimension.
He said the Gurjaje settlement in Fika Local Government was razed down on Monday by suspected bandits, leading to the death of one person and injuries to scores of others, adding that properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
“The House is concerned that many rural dwellers have been displaced on account of this onslaught while agricultural activities have been greatly paralysed leading to economic loss to Fika LGA in Yobe and the nation at large.
“I am worried that several villages in the local government area now live in fear and the majority of them have been displaced and disposed of their valuable source of income,” he said.
With the adoption of the motion, the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen mandated the Committees on Army and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
The House of Representatives similarly urged the police boss to adopt community policing as outlined in section 15 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020.
The call followed the adoption of a motion on a matter of urgent public importance by Asama Ago, a member of the Labour Party from Plateau State
Ago noted that the House had passed several resolutions in the past with little or no improvement in the security situation in Plateau State.
The lawmaker said that the wanton killings have become incessant in several communities across the federation with recent attacks in the Nkienzha community of Bassa LGA, Plateau State
He said, “The House is aware that the Police Act, 2020 provides for the establishment of Community Policing as stipulated explicitly in Section 113, 114, 116 and 117 of the Act.
“Section 113 (1) says for the effective and efficient policing of communities in a state or Federal Capital Territory, the Commissioner of Police of a State shall establish a Community Policing Committee which shall consist of representatives of the Police Force and the local community in the state.
“It says a Commissioner of Police of a state shall establish a Community SubPolicing Committee at all Divisional Police Headquarters in the state or Federal Capital Territory.
“Subject to section 116 (1) (b) of this Act, the Commissioner of Police and members designated by him from time to time for the purpose, shall be members of the Policing Committees and Sub-Policing Committees established at various police formations.
“Section 114 (1) says a Commissioner of Police of a State or Federal Capital Territory shall, in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders in the community, establish a Divisional Community Policing Committee in all Police Divisions within the state,” he said.
In his ruling, Speaker Abbas mandated its Committees on Police Affairs and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance and report back to the House within four weeks.
Kidnapping and killings of citizens have been on the surge as kidnappers now carry out their deeds on unsuspecting citizens while demanding huge ransoms for their release.
On January 5, suspected members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, allegedly executed its first major attack in 2024 killing a popular pastor of the Church of Christ in Nations, Luka Levong, in Geidam, Yobe State.
