Worried by the incessant cases of indiscriminate killings and kidnappings in the country, the House of Representatives on Thursday summoned service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris,to explain what they have been doing to curtail the ugly trend.
The service chiefs summoned included the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.
They will appear before the House in company with the Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (retd.) and the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello-Dambazau (retd.), on Tuesday, next week.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that the summons extends to the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.) and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Lawal Daura.
The House passed a resolution on the summons after debating a motion on rising kidnapping incidents in the country, particularly along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway and in Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency of Kaduna State.
The motion was moved by the House Minority Whip, Mr. Yakubu Barde.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that a member of the House from Kano State, Mr. Garba Umar-Durbunde, was on Tuesday last week abducted and held for almost 48 hours.
He was set free after reportedly coughing out N10m to his abductors.
Barde narrated another recent incident involving “one Mrs. Sara Amos, her son, Jesse, and a family member, Mr. Isaac Michael,” who were kidnapped on June 2.
He disclosed that in their bid to escape, the kidnappers killed “a member of the local vigilance team named Yakubu Adamu.”
Barde added that the kidnappers had made a ransom demand of N20m.
The House noted, “The activities of the kidnappers are becoming nightmarish for the people who can no longer go to their farms freely, with the obvious consequences of shortage of food that will result in hunger and untold hardship.”
TheNewsGuru.com reports that on May 25, six students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, were kidnapped by gunmen.
The six students are Peter Jonah; Isiaq Rahmon; Adebayo George; Judah Agbausi; Pelumi Phillips; and Farouq Yusuf.
The House had passed a similar resolution, asking the IGP to secure the release of the students but they have yet to be set free.
The IGP has however said rescue mission was ongoing to secure the release of the abducted students.