ABUJA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday lamented the rising wave of banditry and kidnapping of students around the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and other tertiary institutions in the country.
Consequently, the lawmakers called on the Federal Government to urgently and without further delay, erect a secure wall around the campuses of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as has been done for the University of Maiduguri in Maiduguri and the Gwagwalada campuses of the University of Abuja in order to forestall incursions from the bandits and other miscreants.
The resolutions also called on the Inspector-General of Police to urgently and without further delay establish units of its mobile police personnel at the institution particularly at the Phase 2 segment of its Samaru campus to ensure the security of lives and property at all times.
They also called on the Chief of Army Staff to urgently and without further delay establish a battalion of the Nigerian Army at the southern border of the University to help forestall incursions into the campus from that end, which has attained a certain notoriety in this regard.
The House, therefore, mandated its Committees on Tertiary Education and National Security and Intelligence to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police and other relevant agencies of Government to implement the above resolutions and report to the House within three (3) weeks.
These followed the adoption of a motion under matter of urgent public importance brought by Hon. Garba Ahmed Daytime (APC, Kaduna), and four others on the ‘Need to Address the Security Threats Posed by the Phenomenon of Banditry (Particularly Kidnapping and Abduction) to the Campuses of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Other Tertiary Institutions Across the Nation.’
They said: “The state of insecurity in Nigeria has been a matter of grave concern to all well-meaning patriots for several years now”.
“Recently, the state of insecurity in Kaduna State has degenerated to alarming levels in spite of the well-meaning efforts of Government to put an end to it and that this insecurity has come in the form of armed banditry.
“The activities of these armed bandits, who have now embarked on a spate of kidnappings and abductions of the Ahmadu Bello University staff and students and other members of the University’s community, particularly at its Samaru Campus but also outside their campuses and the fact that these dangerous activities have reached perilous levels.
“On the 17” day of November 2020, nine (9) students of the university were kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja Road while the bandits sent a ransom demand of N270million for the release of the students.
“Only on Monday 23rd November 2020 at about 12.50 am, armed bandits invaded the house of another staff, Professor Bakari Girei and abducted him, his wife and daughter and, only after an exchange of fire with the Police Intelligence Response Team did the bandits release the wife and daughter while they escaped with the Professor.
“Professor Girei remains in captivity with the bandits as of this moment while the invasions are continuing unabated.
