…Non-declaration of herdsmen as terrorists
KEHINDE AKINTOLA
Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday issued 48-hour ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to address the House and the entire nation over his inability and administration’s inability to declare the killer herdsmen as terrorists to enable commensurate
action against them by the Armed Forces.
Buhari who doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, is also expected to respond to queries over the “inability of the Armed Forces under his watch to stop the recurring death of scores of innocent Nigerians annually from systematic attacks by killer herdsmen and alleged bandits and the gradual occupation of affected communities by these herdsmen despite countless assurances and statements by him promising to stop these attacks.
The House further accused President Buhari of “selective and
ineffective responses to the killing of Nigerians by herdsmen
especially when they occur in certain parts of the country like Benue
State” and called for “immediate measures he intends to employ as the C-in-C to provide the Armed Forces including the Police with the
required resources (equipment, welfare, etc) to confront and dislodge
the killer herdsmen from their known hideouts, establish permanent
presence in immediate proximity to affected communities and provide a
timeline within which these attacks by killer herdsmen and alleged
bandits will be curtailed so Nigerians can return to their ancestral
homes and means of livelihood.”
The lawmakers also frowned at the inability of National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA) “under his watch to provide relief materials
and rehabilitation of affected communities in line with their
statutory mandate inspite of the N10 billion he announced had been
provided in this regard and what immediate intervention his
administration intends to provide to affected communities and how
soon.”
Similarly, the House demanded for explanation over the Buhari’s
administration through the “Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),
others relevant agencies’ or policy initiatives to enable proper
communication network provision in affected communities and other
underserved parts of the country to enhance security and proactive
intervention.”
The House resolved to: “conclude along with other Nigerians if the
President fails to respond to aforementioned queries as requested
within 48 hours that he and his administration are incapable of
permanently curtailing the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians by
killer herdsmen and the occupation of their land and have failed in
their primary constitutional responsibility of ensuring the security
and welfare of the citizens of Nigeria.”
Going by these resolutions which was adopted by all the members, the
House resolved to “constitute an Ad-hoc Committee to interface with
the Presidency regarding aforementioned queries and engage the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Chairman
and Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, related State Government and
relevant stakeholders in a public hearing to determine a permanent
solutions to the killing of innocent Nigerians by killer herdsmen and
alleged bandits including the complicity of any Nigerian or group in
the perpetration of these killings and land grabbing.”
The lawmakers also condemned in strong terms the murder of some
Nigerians by officers of the Nigerian Army and Federal Special
Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) during the just concluded Presidential and
National Assembly elections in River State.
The lawmakers expressed the concerns during the debate on two motions
of ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, sponsored by Mark Gbillah
(PDP-Benue) and Kingsley Chinda (PDP-River).
While speaking on the
In his lead debate, Chinda expressed regrets over the palpable
presence of heavily armed men of security agencies including Nigerian
Army and FSARS in several places across the country, including River
State, with clear cases of harassment and intimidation of voters and
electoral officers, and shootings by men of the security agencies,
with the aim to instill fear in the people.
“There were reports and viral video clis of cases if intimidation,
harassment, torture and shooting to death of innocent, unarmed
civilian voters by men of FSARS and the Nigerian Army in several parts
of River State, including Bori, Abonnema in Akuku Toru, Bonny, Emohun,
Ikwerre and Okrika Local Government Areas of River State.
“The House is aware that government owes its citizens the duty of
protecting and securing their lives as enshrined in SS. 14(2b) and
34(1a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CRFN),
1999 which states that: ‘The security and welfare of the people shall
be the primary purpose of government’; and ‘Every individual is
entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly, no
person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading
treatment.’
He argued that the Nigerian Army has no mandate to participate in
elections – a duty purely civil exercise under the provision of
S.217(2a-d) CRFN, 1999 which states the functions of the Armed Forces
to be: ‘defending Nigeria from external aggression; maintaining its
territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land,
sea or air; suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil
authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the
President, but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an
Act of the National Assembly; and performing such other functions as
may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.’
While ruling, Speaker Yakubu Dogara mandated the joint Committees on
Army, Human Rights, Justice and Police Affairs to investigate the
killing of Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, Mrs. Ibisaki Amachree and scores of
others by men of the FSARS, led by Akin Fakorede and the Nigerian Army
and report back to the House within two weeks for further legislative
action.
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