Boko Haram: Senate summons NSA, IGP, SSS boss •As US, EU condemn bombings in Nigeria

THE Senate, on Tuesday, summoned the nation’s security chiefs over incessant bomb attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect.

The summon was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Eta Enang over incessant killings, as a result of bomb blast attributed to members of the sect.

The reference point, however, was the June 16 bomb blast at the Police Headquarters, Abuja, for which the Boko Haram sect claimed responsibility.

The Senate said that the briefing by the security chiefs would give the chamber a comprehensive situation report about the bombings.

The security chiefs are also expected to tell the Senate how they intend to tackle the menace.

Those summoned included the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim; the Chief of Defence Staff, Oluseyi Petinrin, who would lead all the service chiefs and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Ita Ekpeyong.

According to Senate tradition, the briefing would be held behind closed doors.

Pursuant to Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2007 as amended, Senator Enang moved a motion, which urged the Senate to discuss the June 16 bomb blast at the Police Headquarters, saying that it was a source for worry.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in his contribution, stated that the development was not only of “national importance but also a national emergency.”

Another senator who contributed to the motion, former vice chairman of the Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes Committee, Senator Dahiru Kuta, blamed the IGP for what he called ungarded statements on the sect.

He said: “Our security agencies must weigh their words before doing anything. It was wrong for the IGP to say he wanted to deal with them, when he never knew they were planning against him.”

Senator Sola Adeyeye, who was in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011, also said that the level of insecurity in the country was worrisome and that even highly placed Nigerians were no longer safe.

“All patriots must be saddened by these events and they must wake up. What we witnessed in Abuja shows that even the IGP cannot boast of his own security. It, therefore, means that if the IGP cannot boast of his own security, then, the Senate president cannot boast of his own security, because he depends on the IGP for his security.

“Very urgently, we must summon the security agencies to tell us the details of what transpired and what they want to do to contain the situation,” he stated.

Another former member of the House Representatives from Kaduna State, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, however, differed with his colleagues, saying that the motion was unnecessary. He said that there was no basis for Senate to dabble into the matter.

But the former Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, Senator Abdul Ningi, urged senators to intervene and invite security chiefs for proper briefing on the security situation.

The Senate, thereafter, resolved to summon the service chiefs, but no date was fixed yet for their appearance.

Meanwhile, the United States government and the European Union (EU), on Tuesday, described the bombings and attacks in Borno State as an affront to the rule of law and democratic principles in Nigeria.

They condemned the acts and noted that there should be no impunity for the perpetrators.

The Heads of Mission of the European Union and the United States in Nigeria disclosed this in Abuja, in a joint statement sent to the Nigerian Tribune and signed by the Ambassador of the EU in Nigeria, Dr David MacRae.

They expressed shock over the bombings and maintained that there was no place in the society for the horrific acts of violence.

In the statement, the envoys expressed their thoughts and extended their deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those killed in the bombings.

President Barack Obama had, early in the year, condemned the bomb attack near an army barracks in Abuja, which reportedly killed more than 20 people and injured many more.

He maintained that the killing of innocent civilians, who were simply gathering like so many people around the world to celebrate the beginning of a New Year, further demonstrated the bankrupt vision of those who carried out the attack.

The EU Heads of Mission had also urged the Nigerian authorities to take the necessary steps to bring perpetrators of the violence to account and to adopt measures to protect the civilian population effectively, irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliation.

He said such action would be essential to avoid further escalation of violence, promote inter-ethnic and inter-religious dialogue and acknowledge diversity as an asset for the development of an open and pluralistic society.