Reps to Buhari: Declare state of emergency in Katsina

TRACKING >>Worried by the resurgent cases of banditry, armed robbery, kidnappings and killings across the country, the House of Representatives, yesterday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately declare state of emergency on insecurity in his home state, Kastina.

The House also invited the president to address Nigerians on measures being taken to curb the menace. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Dayyabu Safana (APC, Katsina). In the motion, titled “urgent need for Federal Government’s intervention on the ongoing wanton killing of innocent persons, destruction of properties, armed robbery and kidnappings by heavily armed bandits operating within Safana/Batsari/Dansamu federal constituency,” Dayyabu informed that some villages within his constituency had been serially attacked with many people killed by armed bandits. He said that as an immediate step in containing the evil activities of the heavily armed bandits, the president should urgently declare a state of emergency in the federal constituency.

He said: “The House notes with dismay the ongoing attacks on various communities with Safana/ Batsari/Dansamu Federal Constituency of Katsina State by heavily armed bandits who continuously unleash mayhem against my constituents on daily basis. “The recent spate of the said attacks on members of my constituency has reached an alarming stage as the perpetrators of this dastardly act continuously kill innocent persons in my constituency and set their homes ablaze while defenceless men and women are abducted to an unknown destinations.

“Worried that up to four villages within my constituency are currently under attack in the last 48 hours, namely: Massa Village in Batasari Local Government where no fewer than five persons have been killed; Alhazawa Village in Safana LGA had been totally displaced; Guzurawa village in Safana LGA also had several persons murdered in cold blood, and just on Wednesday, Gobirawa Village came under attack with no fewer than 12 dead bodies littered in the bush while many are still missing.” Supporting the motion, Hon. Bashir Babale (APC, Kano) submitted that “infrastructure has collapsed where banditry takes place.”

Others who supported the motion include: Hon. Gabriel Onyenweife (PDP, Anambra), Hon. Chika Adamu (APC, Niger), Hon. Useni Moriki (APC, Zamfara) and Hon. Awaji Abinte (APC, Bayelsa). Making his remarks, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said that it was necessary to invite the President for an address since the issue of banditry has become national. Adopting the motion, the House called on the Federal Government to deploy the military to the areas under attack to assist the police and other security agencies in flushing out the criminal elements operating in the constituency. It also called for the declaration of state of emergency in the area while urging the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to the victims of the attacks. It will be recalled that the House had, on April 11, 2019, made the same call to the president, giving him 48 hours ultimatum to personally speak to the people, but almost one month afterwards, he is yet to do so.