The Nigerian Senate has asked President Muhmmaadu Buhari to immediately declare a state of emergency on insecurity affecting the country’s peace.
The Red chamber made this known during Wednesday’s plenary reacting to the kidnap of students and teachers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State by gunmen on Wednesday morning.
This newspaper had earlier reported that one student had been killed and several other students abducted as armed bandits attacked Government Science College Kagara in Rafi Local government area of Niger State.
The bandits also kidnapped some teachers and their family members residing within the College Staff Quarters.
According to a government source who spoke to Channels Television on Wednesday, said the students and teachers were abducted at about 2:00 am on Wednesday when the bandits stormed the school.
The source stated that bandits started shooting sporadically. In the process, a student was killed while some others sustained gunshots.
The source could not, however, give the number of persons abducted and those injured as at the time of filing the report
The source further added that the gunmen were dressed in the same school uniform used by the students, disguising themselves to be members of the school.
Following a motion on a matter of urgent public importance on the incident by Senator representing Niger East, Mohammed Sani Musa, the Senate asked the federal government to wake to its responsibility of securing lives and properties of Nigerians.
The lawmakers asked President Buhari to implement the various recommendations of the Senate on how to tackle insecurity.
The Red chamber also described the Federal Government as “incompetent” in dealing with the rising insecurity in the country.
In his remarks, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said the frequent incidents of kidnapping of students would reverse the gains made in school enrollment over the years in the North.
He said parents would no longer yield to persuasion to enroll their wards in school with the level of insecurity plaguing the area especially the kidnap of school children.