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Senate urges workable strategies to stop killings in Rivers
The Senate, on Wednesday called on the federal and Rivers State governments to develop a workable strategies that would stop the rising cases of killings in the state.
The resolution was sequel to a motion, “Frightening killings Rivers State”, by Senator Andrew Uchendu (APC, Rivers East), who lamented that “these killings assumed a very dangerous proportion before, during and after the 2015 general elections”.
Uchendu, while presenting the motion, further explained that the killings of innocent citizens as a result of murder, kidnappings, violence or abduction have been the bane of Rivers State for more than a decade.
He was worried that “the nature of killings in the state assumed a more horrendous dimension by the decapitation and or dismembering of body parts, including beheading of victims”, adding that a new twist to the “sacrilegious conduct” was burning of the victims’ corpses.
The lawmaker informed that some unknown gunmen had at about 9.00pm on Sunday, May 19
invaded Isiodu community in Emohua local government area of the state and killed three young men aged between 23 and 30, and later burned their corpses.
“In Rivers State, life has become more brutish and worthless, since anybody can be killed, kidnapped or abducted at any time of the day”, he lamented.
Contributing, the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Bala Na’Allah, urged those in positions of authority to be law abiding before demanding that the people should adhere to the laws of the land.
He said: “the signs are notified too good for us but with the right leadership and patriotism we can solve the problem. We must come out of the cocoon of protecting our own when they are wrong. I am totally in agreement with the prayers in the motion”.
Senator Osinachukwu Ideozu (APC-Rivers), who also contributed to the debate on the motion, regretted the killings, noting however, that the killings in Rivers was not an isolated case.
He cited several states with similar security situation, stressing that government and Nigerians should collaborate in finding lasting solutions to the problem.
The lawmaker further lamented that the nation’s security architecture had not performed optimally in view of increased spate of killings across the country.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, called for a holistic approach towards solving the problem, expressing concern that the level of insecurity in the country had taken a worrisome dimension.
“This is a matter for concern. Criminality must be dealt with and not with political interest. When the Inspector-General of Police visited the Senate last week, he promised to do something. We hope better strategies are adopted to solve the problem”, Saraki said.
He urged the federal government and state governments to work together in tackling the problem, citing several states with similar problem, just as he agreed that lasting solution should be sought holistically.
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