By EricJames Ochigbo
Abuja – The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Defence, Minister of Interior, National Security Adviser and all service chiefs over the spate of kidnapping in the country.
This was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Yakubu Barde (Kaduna-PDP) at the plenary on Thursday.
The government officials are expected to appear before the lawmakers at plenary on Tuesday.
The aim, according to the legislators, is to offer legislative support to addressing kidnapping in the country.
Moving the motion earlier, Barde said that in spite of the efforts being made by security agencies, the spate of kidnapping was still rising.
He said that the activities of the criminal syndicates around Chikun/Kajuru Constituency of Kaduna State had imparted negatively on the socio-economic lives of the people.
Barde said people could no longer go about their legitimate businesses freely without fear of being kidnapped.
He recalled that on June 2, a certain Mrs Sara Amos, her son, Jesse and a family member were kidnapped.
According to him, in the bid to escape, the kidnappers killed a local vigilante, Mr Yakubu Adamu, and are now demanding N20 million as ransom.
The lawmaker said that other victims had been released after huge amount was paid as ransom while others were still being held by their abductors.
According to him, only yesterday, over 25 persons were kidnapped on the Abuja-Kaduna road in broad daylight.
He noted that while the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was being renovated and flights were diverted to Kaduna, there was no record of kidnap on Abuja-Kaduna road.
Barde urged security agents to intensify efforts and deploy drones to “red spots’’ in the country, saying that ordinary Nigerians plying the Kaduna road and others needed to be protected.
In his contribution, the Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Leo Ogor (Delta-PDP), said that the situation in Kaduna was similar to the case in Delta.
According to him, people in the area were under siege and something needs to be done as soon as possible.
He described the act of kidnapping as “inhumanity of man to man”, saying that unemployment was not enough reason to resort to crime.
Ogor said that security agencies must work together to dislodge criminals from their camps.
On his part, the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev (Benue-APC), said that the spate of kidnapping in the country obeyed Federal Character law as no part of the country was spared.
Orker-Jev said no fewer than 13 motions on kidnapping had been moved on the floor of the green chambers.
He said the problem was due to lack of implementation of resolutions and laws, adding that more commitment was needed to curb the menace.
However, Rep. Musa Adar (Sokoto-APC) said that the Committee on Police had failed in its duties to Nigerians.
He suggested that the house should set up an ad hoc committee with serious minded lawmakers to deal with the issues bordering on security.
Rep. Hassan Shekarau (Kaduna-APC) said that the menace which started as cattle rustling had now graduated into “human rustling”.
Shekarau said he could no longer go to his constituency for fear of being kidnapped.
The lawmaker said that he recently gave out his daughter in marriage but did not invite any of his friend neither did he attend the ceremony himself because of fear of being abducted.
He said people were being kidnapped daily and reported but that no action was being taken to address it.
In his ruling, the Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara directed the House Committee on Rules and Business to invite the security chiefs for a closed door session.
