The Nigerian Senate has summoned the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to brief lawmakers on the federal government's coordinated response to the worsening insecurity in Kwara South Senatorial District, following a surge in bandit attacks, kidnappings, and killings.
The summons, announced during Wednesday's plenary, also extends to the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
It stems from a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Deputy Senate Leader Senator Oyelola Ashiru Yisa (APC, Kwara South), who decried the "alarming levels" of violence, particularly in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
Senator Ashiru highlighted that at least 142 people have been kidnapped and over 70 killed in the district over the past 12 months, forcing no fewer than 25 communities to be deserted.
He described ungoverned forest spaces along the Kwara-Kogi-Ekiti axis as breeding grounds for bandits, often aided by local informants, leading to severe humanitarian crises, school closures, abandoned farmlands, and crippled local economies.
The Senate observed a minute of silence in honor of slain forest guards, vigilantes, traditional rulers, and innocent civilians, including the 12 vigilantes and the Baale of Ogba-Ayo community killed in a recent ambush in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun.
In addition to the summons, the upper chamber mandated the Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, and the IGP to deploy more troops and special forces to clear bandit hideouts in affected forests.
It also demanded the establishment of a permanent military base in Ifelodun to curb the threats and directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide immediate humanitarian relief to displaced persons.
Furthermore, the Senate called on the Federal Government to compensate families of the victims.
The Senate Committees on Defence, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence were tasked with conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas and reporting back within two weeks.
Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central) urged against politicizing the issue, emphasizing the need for unity.
This action comes amid broader federal efforts, including President Bola Tinubu's recent directive for a military brigade deployment under Operation Fasan Yanma to flush bandits from Kwara's forests, signaling heightened urgency to restore peace in the region.
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