Senate President Suggests Security Men Are Using The Train To Avoid Kidnappers

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has suggested that security men in the country use rail transport to avoid kidnappers on the road.

Lawan, during Wednesday’s plenary session of the Senate, suggested that uniform men in the country should be banned from using the train service so they could take the rising cases of kidnappings along Nigerian roads more seriously.

The senate president said this while contributing to a motion moved by Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye “on the recent activities of kidnappers along Lokoja-Abuja road.”

Citing orders 42 and 52, Melaye had urged the senate to draw the attention of security agencies to the rising cases of kidnappings in Abuja and other parts of the country.

“On the 24th of September, 2019, 8 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped. We need to call on our security operatives to save Nigerians. We as a Senate stand to protect lives and properties,” said the Senator.

Senator Danjuma Goje, who represents Gombe central, said in his contribution: “Abuja is not safe, the small villages are not also safe. This motion is very important and very timely. My question is; why can’t we trace the kidnappers using technology? We should look for ways to combat this menace.”

In his contributing, the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, urged the lawmakers to “think outside the box” to find a lasting solution to the problem.

 “Let us not do normal things, let us think outside the box. I am aware that kidnapping is not just Lokoja-Abuja. We are in a difficult situation and we sympathize with the relatives of the victims,” said Abaribe.

Responding, the Senate President agreed with the Abaribe that the senate needed to do things differently to address the security challenges.

“We need to do something differently; we need to go back to that report of Ad-hoc Committee; we cannot go on like this. We need to give security agencies some more funds but insist on accountability. We must see how they utilize money.

“We must also insist that uniform people do not join the train. They should allow the ordinary people to use the train,” said Lawan.

The senate president added: “Time has come for our security operatives to go technological; Technology like drones should be deployed to enhance the efficacy of their operations. We should continue to look at the restructuring of security architecture.”

The senate consequently resolved among other resolutions to, “urge security agencies to adequately secure the Lokoja-Abuja express way and other roads in the country

“Call on IG of Police to intensify efforts in protecting the lives and properties of every Nigerian;

“Urge the security agencies to use surveillance equipments and communication gadgets to track down these evil perpetrators of these acts;

“That the Nigerian immigration services and other relevant agencies should step up the monitoring of our borders to curb  the inflow of immigrants;

“National Assembly should make adequate provision for the purchase of security equipment for security agencies;

“The Senate should come up with stringent anti-kidnapping legislation that will curb this menace; and

The senate also resolved that the recommendation of its ad-hoc committee’s report on security should be implemented.