President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged by the Senate to declare a full-scale war on gunmen terrorizing communities across the country.
This decision was made by the higher legislative house after Senator Uba Sani of Kaduna Central brought an attack on a Kaduna-bound train to the notice of the senate.
On Monday, the attack took place in the Kateri-Rijana district of Kaduna.
When the attackers started fire on the train, it was claimed to be almost to Rigasa, its final destination.
Some of the passengers died, while others were injured.
Gabriel Suswam, a senator representing Benue north-east, said the country is under attack and that immediate steps should be made to address insecurity in the country during a debate on the resolution moved by Sani on Tuesday.
“It is time enough for the appropriate authority to have taken decisive actions to address the insecurity in our country,” Suswam said.
“This is the time that we as a senate meet with the leadership of this country to sit down and talk.”
Senator Danjuma Laah, who represents Kaduna south, said that if Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai is unable to solve the state’s security concerns, he should seek assistance.
“In the whole country, the issue of Kaduna state is the worst. There must be an urgent action immediately to solve all the problems,” Laah said.
“If the governor is short of manpower, let him cry out.”
After a voice vote, Senate President Ahmad Lawan approved the proposal.
The upper parliamentary chamber requested that the army and air force continue their operations against the gunmen’s enclaves.
It also requested that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) supply humanitarian supplies to the attack victims.
