Insecurity: Reps ask FG to engage mercenaries

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government (FG) to engage the services of mercenaries to supplement the efforts of security agencies in containing increasing insecurity.

In addition to this, the lawmakers renewed their call on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the security sector.

They took the decisions during the plenary on Wednesday at the lower chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.

These followed debates on another set of two motions bordering on the recent attacks by bandits and gunmen in Plateau and Benue States respectively.

Gunmen suspected to be bandits had invaded villages in Kanam Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State on Sunday, killing scores of villagers and setting houses ablaze. Gyanbahu, Kukawa, Karen, and Dungur were said to be the worst-hit communities.

In Benue, authorities confirmed the killing of 23 locals during attacks by killer herdsmen on Mbadwem and Tiortyu communities in Guma and Tiortyu LGAs respectively on Monday night.

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During the plenary, the lawmaker representing Pakshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, and his counterpart from Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency of Benue State, John Dyegh, moved separate motions to draw the attention of the House to the plight of the villagers in their respective constituencies.

In their various contributions, a majority of members noted that cases of killings, now a daily occurrence, had cheapened the lives of Nigerians and would appear that security agencies and the government had lost total control of the situation.

Some of them blamed President Buhari on whose table they said the bulk stopped and urged him to take more decisive actions against criminal elements in the country.

Among their suggestions included that the President should sack the National Security Adviser immediately and a repeated call for a state of emergency on insecurity in the country.

A key prayer, which was unanimously endorsed by the House, was to invoke Section 83 (1) of the 1999 Constitution to provide special funds, through a supplementary budget, to hire mercenaries in order to strengthen the anti-terror war.

The House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, moved the prayer which was unanimously voted for at the session presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Wase.

A prayer to declare a state of emergency on insecurity was also unanimously sought by the lawmakers who complained that they were overwhelmed by the daily wailings of their constituents.

FG mercenaries