Spate of kidnappings in the country embarassing – Senate

The Senate on Tuesday lamented on the spare of kidnappings in the country, particularly along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

The upper chamber described it as embarrassing to the country.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said this after Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, briefed the lawmakers on the outcome of a meeting the National Assembly held with security agencies on Monday.

Lawan said the Senate and House of Representatives held a meeting with Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, on Monday.

“This meeting was specifically called to discuss the incessant kidnappings that have become the situation (trend) on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway,” the Senate Majority Leader stated.

He added that the lawmakers demanded answers from Idris over kidnappings in the country.

Lawan said, “We discussed at length that the current situation, in which there is either mass kidnapping or kidnapping of individuals on a daily basis on this highway, is not acceptable to us as representatives of the people.

“Therefore, we needed an explanation from the police authorities. We wanted to see the way forward; a better and working security architecture and arrangement to ensure that this situation is arrested.

“The IGP explained that currently, there was a joint operation between the police and the Army on the road; that the police had contributed about 600 personnel and donated 90 patrol vehicles to the joint operation.

“But, of course, this has not solved the problem at all. In fact, the problem has escalated.”

Lawan added, “The IGP, of course, promised that from today – Tuesday – there would be another set of operation that is exclusively police-designed to reinforce the joint operation that they had undertaken with the military.

“We are going to monitor, particularly the two Committees on Police Affairs of the two chambers, and see the situation if there would be any improvement.”

The Senate Leader however said the police needed short-term and long-term funding arrangement to work effectively.

“I also want to urge my colleagues here that the National Assembly should pass the Police Trust Fund Bill. This bill will provide some funds and proceeds from other sources, largely non-governmental, for our police to have funds which will improve their operations and make Nigeria better and safer,” he added.

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