Senate President Ahmed Lawan on Monday dismissed the country’s security architecture as ineffective.
To the senator, it is time to rejig the set up because of the resurgence of insecurity, criminality and killings across the country.
“The security system has not been working efficiently and effectively, we have to do something about it,” Lawan told reporters in Abuja on Monday ahead of today’s resumption of senators from their end of year recess.
He spoke against the backdrop of a myriad of security challenges at the weekend.
On Sunday night, gunmen killed 15 people in Plateau State. Also on Sunday night in Kaduna, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers attacked a vehicle carrying travellers after they alighted from a train at Raigasa station.
They kidnapped two people. By yesterday morning, they called the family to demand N20 million ransom.
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom alleged that herdsmen shot at him at his farm.
Lawan stated on Monday that “the Senate will take a position on how security in this country should be. I believe personally that we should restructure the security architecture.
“The present system does not appear to give us the type of outcome that we need. Whether it is the federal, states, local governments or traditional rulers, the most important thing is to secure the lives and property of Nigerians and we would do that.”
He said a major agenda of the upper chamber on resumption of plenary would be how to ensure adequate security for Nigerians.
He lamented that the rise in bandits’ and terrorists’ attacks have destabilised many communities and loss of precious lives.
“What we have in mind and what we have before us is what is so important for Nigerians. First and most importantly is to look into the issue of security that is bedeviling this country.
“Apparently and obviously, all hands must be on deck to ensure that we bring back a better security situation that we had before. Presently the story is not good.
“In many areas we have so much happening that is destabilizing our communities and killing of people.
“We believe that we owe Nigerians the responsibility to intervene and work together with the executive arm of government, actually to work together with other tiers of government – the states and even the local governments – to ensure that we change the way we approach the security issues in this country.
“This time around there should not be buck passing, we have to be forthright. We have to say it as it is and we have to do it as it is required.
“One thing is clear; all hands must be on deck. The Federal Government, State governments and even the local governments and more importantly, citizens, because wherever you see security improving, that means the citizens are playing their roles very well.
“But of course, the onus lies largely on government. So, we are going to work with the executive arm of government at the federal level.
“Actually, I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag as they say but I believe that we should engage with the security agencies in the Senate to find out why the deterioration in security in many parts of the country.
“We have had series of engagements before but the escalation now has made it mandatory that we have to have a definite position as a government because we just cannot play politics with security issues. Lives are at stake.”