Nigeria’s House of Representatives Back Senate, Ask Buhari To Declare Bandits As Terrorists

The federal lawmakers of the House of Representatives have joined their counterparts in the Senate to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to designate bandits, who have ravaged the North-West and parts of the North-Central geopolitical zones, as terrorists.

Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, at the plenary on Thursday, moved a motion of urgent public importance to urge the Green Chamber to back the Senate.

The Senate, on Wednesday, asked the President to declare bandits in the country as terrorists.

It also demanded that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces wage a complete war against the assailants, asking him to bomb all their locations to crush and eliminate them.

The Senate further asked Buhari to declare all known leaders of the bandits wanted and track them wherever they are, for arrest and trial.

These were parts of the resolutions of the Senate after considering a motion sponsored by the Senator from Sokoto East, Ibrahim Gobir, and co-sponsored by eight other senators.

The lawmaker lamented that Sokoto East Senatorial District had now become a safe haven for bandits, following a crackdown on them by the military in Zamfara.

He expressed worry that on September 25, 21 security personnel were killed in Dama and Gangara villages by rampaging bandits.

The Senator added that 15 soldiers, three mobile police officers and three members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were among those murdered by bandits.

Gobir said, “This has gone to portray the seriousness of the problem which requires concerted and urgent action by the declaration of total war on banditry.”

Similarly, the Members of the House of Representatives joined in the demand of the Senators on Thursday, asking the President to declare war against the bandits.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, asked for those who were against the motion but the lawmakers chorused, “No!”

The motion was unanimously adopted through a voice vote.