Senate Summons Security Chiefs Over Boko Haram

Abdul-Rahman Abubakar

29 June 2011

The Senate yesterday summoned all heads of the security agencies in the country to provide explanation on the recent spate of bomb blasts and killings believed to be perpetrated by members of the Boko Haram sect. Senate resolution followed a motion on the state of insecurity in the country moved by Senator Ita Enang (PDP, Akwa Ibom). Moving the motion, Enang expressed concern on the deteriorating security situation in the country and the need for government to take urgent steps to address the matter.

After debate on the matter, Senate resolved to instead of setting up an investigative panel on the matter, invite the Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim, the Director General of SSS, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petirin and other service chiefs.

Speaking during the debate, Senate President David Mark said “setting up a committee in my opinion cannot settle this issue. We should invite security chiefs to brief us in closed door. They (Boko Haram) are a small group for now but if the environment is ripe they can cause a lot of inconveniences. “If we don’t nip it in the bud now, it is going to be very expensive and we need to tackle it as quickly as possible.”

In his contribution, Senator Datti Baba Ahmed (CPC, Kaduna North) opposed the motion while insisting that the prayers cannot serve as solution to the problem. He said the Senate lacks adequate information on security to be able to set up a committee that will come up with recommendations that can quell the crisis.

Also speaking, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (PDP, Nasarawa West) said, “what is happening today is not a failure of the police, but a failure of the fabric of governance.” Senate condemned the bomb blasts and all other acts of terrorism in the country and also commiserated with families of victims of the blasts and wished those in the hospitals speedy recovery.

While briefing newsmen on the issue, Senate Majority Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) said the Senate is yet to fix a date for the security chiefs to appear before the committee of whole Senate.

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