Olushola Omogbehin
The Nigerian Senate has assured Nigerians that armed banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and with wanton killings and destruction of property will end this year 2026.
Responding to a point of Order raised by Senator Garba Maidoki, APC, Kebbi South, yesterday, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said on January 1 this year, his prayers to God were that banditry and insurgency should end this year.
Hear him: “I want to thank you, Senator Maidoki, for your very strong stance and to say that we in the Senate are with you. We share the same opinion. We are of the opinion that this banditry should end. In fact, on January 1, my prayer to God, which I spread to the nation, was that the banditry and insurgency should end this year.
“By the grace of God, in 2026, we will not see our end, but rather, we shall see the end of 2026 and the end of banditry. That’s our prayer, so I understand the anger.
“But also note, there are a lot of things involved. They only go for soft targets. We cannot have military barracks in every village in Nigeria. The country is very vast. So they (bandits, terrorists) go for soft targets. And when they go, they cause massive damage. And by the time we move there, it becomes reactionary.”
Urging further, Senator Maidoki said the Senate should put enough resources in the budget for the army, take money from whatever source possible and fund the military well so that banditry will end within this year.
“Senate President, I have cried to you severally concerning insecurity in my area and graciously, a committee of military chiefs was set up, so we can look at these security issues holistically.
“Last time, we have agreed that more funding should go to the military. This is budget period. I told you if you give me school today and I run away from that school, it’s of no use to me.
‘’Let’s put enough resources. the budget is coming here, let’s put money for the army, let’s take money from whatever source possible and fund the military well, so that this thing can finish within this year; we don’t want this in 2026.”
Pleading, the Senate called on President Tinubu to honour his pledge of creating a new military barracks in the zone and also task Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to equip a new Squadron, if established, with at least three Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC, to intensify intelligence-driven operations, including forest combing, cross-state collaboration, and community-based intelligence systems across Katsina and other areas.
