Reps Summon Defence Minister, Service Chiefs, Others

The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, to appear before it and provide details of funds released to security agencies over the past six months.

The resolution was adopted during plenary on Tuesday following deliberations on motions relating to the worsening security situation across parts of the country.

The House also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the recruitment of forest guards in states experiencing insecurity, similar to the initiative recently introduced in Oyo State.

Lawmakers expressed concern over the persistent wave of kidnappings, attacks on educational institutions, and growing threats to lives and property in several parts of the federation.

The resolutions come against the backdrop of recent mass abductions in parts of the country, including the kidnapping of more than 40 teachers and pupils from schools in Oyo State and similar incidents involving students and teachers in Borno State.

The incidents have generated widespread condemnation and renewed calls for urgent and decisive action to address insecurity nationwide.

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) had staged protests across the country demanding the immediate rescue and release of the abducted victims, while several civil society groups and concerned citizens also called for stronger government intervention.

In response to the attack in Oyo State, President Tinubu dispatched a high-level delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other senior government officials to the affected community.

During an engagement with community leaders and residents, Gbajabiamila said the President was deeply disturbed by the incident and remained committed to securing the safe return of all those abducted.

According to him, President Tinubu's decision to send the country's top security officials to the affected communities underscored his determination to deploy every available resource toward securing the victims' release.

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security architecture and curb criminal activities in forested areas, the President approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State and reaffirmed his administration's commitment to defeating insecurity across the country.

President Tinubu also directed a specialised security unit equipped with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts aimed at securing the release of the abducted pupils, teachers, and other persons held captive by criminal elements.

The House of Representatives is expected to engage the invited security and intelligence chiefs, as well as the Minister of Finance, on the utilisation of security funds and the effectiveness of current measures being implemented to tackle insecurity across the country.

Source: Channels Television