The Senate on Thursday urged Federal Government to mandate the Nigeria Air Force to carry out ariel surveillance in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi, following series of attacks on innocent citizens in those areas by suspected bandits.
The surveillance, the Red Chamber said, would assist in identifying locations and hideouts of bandits and deal with them decisively.
The resolution was sequel to a motion on “Gruesome killing of 40 people in Sokoto State by Bandits” moved by Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi).
The Red Chamber also urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, through the commissioner of Police in the three states to set up a Special Squad to mop up the whole zone and get rid of the bandits.
Aliero, while leading debate on the motion, expressed sadness over the Monday killing in Sokoto State.
Aliero said “these bandits are operating in Zamfara forest, where they carry out many nefarious and barbaric killing of innocent people over a period of two years.
“The situation now is that most of the villagers have left their homes out of fear and many are stranded in the bush.”
Sen. Ibrahim Gobir (APC-Sokoto) warned that if urgent steps were not taken by government, the killings might spread to other districts.
He, therefore, called for the establishment of an Army Depot in the area to forestall further attacks.
Abdullahi Danbaba (APC-Sokoto) said that attacks and counter attacks had been going on in the state for about seven years and urged federal and state governments to find lasting solution to the problem.
All the prayers of the motion were unanimously adopted by the lawmakers after a Voice Vote by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary session. (NAN)
