The Senate on Tuesday summoned
the nation’s service chiefs for explanation over the proliferation of firearms
in the country.
According to the News Agency of
Nigeria, NAN, the upper chamber also mandated its Committee on Intelligence and
National Security to conduct thorough investigation into the development to
unravel its remote and immediate causes.
The resolutions were sequel to a
motion on “Proliferation of Dangerous Firearms in Nigeria’’ moved by Sen.
Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC-Kaduna) during plenary.
He observed that tribal,
communal, religious and other sectarian clashes, including farmers/herdsmen
crisis were now more devastating.
“This is due to wrongful and easy
acquisition of firearms in violation of due process as laid down by the
enabling laws and regulations.
“This ugly trend has contributed
to the colossal loss of lives and wanton destruction of property of Nigerian
citizens.”
The lawmaker explained that the
situation was attributable to the inability of the authorities to control the
proliferation of firearms within country.
“The spate of unrest due to
proliferation of firearms has negatively impacted on economic and agricultural
activities to the extent that due to fear of attacks, law-abiding citizens fear
going to the market and farms.”
In his contribution, Sen. Shehu
Sani (APC-Kaduna) said the rate and frequency at which people were being killed
in the country was evidence that there were more firearms than there were
tractors.
“The political class are
complicit in the proliferation of firearms in Nigeria,” he said, adding that
stakeholders must move fast “to rescue the drift”.
Sani called for a new national
political orientation where people should not see politics as a do-or-die
affair, but should see it as an opportunity to serve the people.
On his part, the Leader of the
Senate, Sen. Ahmad Lawan, observed that “the country is bedevilled by so much
insecurity.”
He said that proliferation of
illegal firearms was the major reason why there were many killings in the
country.
Lawan called on the service
chiefs to find a lasting solution to the issue.
In his remarks, President of the
Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said that the issue of security in the country was
the number one concern of all Nigerians.
He decried the spate of killings
and the inadequate and poor response by security agencies to address the
menace, and called for concerted effort to check the trend.
“People are now going about with weapons as if
they are accessories,” he lamented.
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