The Niger State House of Assembly on Tuesday urged the state government to declare state of emergency in the state as a result of insecurity in all the local government areas.
The call followed the discussion on the floor during a motion on a matter of urgent public importance presented by Mr Malik Bosso, representing Bosso Constituency at the plenary in Minna on Tuesday.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly wants the security issue to be treated as a matter of urgency.
After the legislators took turns to criticize the security situation in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Wuse, the Speaker of the House, took the members to task.
The Speaker urged the Committee on Security and other members to interface with heads of security agencies and relevant security stakeholders in the state to tackle the menace.
Bosso had raised a serious alarm over insecurity in most parts of the state particularly in Gurumana, Shiroro local government area, where over 300 bandits recently ravaged and carted away cattle and property worth millions of naira.
He expressed worries that the issue of insecurity was already spreading across other local government areas such as Shiroro, Munya, Rafi, Paikoro, Borgu, Magama, Mariga and Kontagora.
He noted that there was an urgent need to take serious measures to curb the threat before it got out of hand.
He added that there should be adequate surveillance by police and vigilance groups to support the Air force surveillance deployed by the Federal government.
The lawmaker stressed the need for the state and local governments to take proactive measures in preventing the spread of banditry activities.
Bosso stressed the need to amend the law dealing with kidnapping and cattle rustling and called for stiffer punishments for anyone caught serving as informant to the criminals.
Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, representing Chanchaga Constituency, in his contribution during a debate noted that virtually all the local government areas were under security threat due to activities of bandits.
He called on the House to organise an intensive interface with heads of security agencies to listen to their challenges.
“My honourable colleagues it is important to have this interface to know what is preventing them from performing their duties of protecting lives and property of our people.”
Similarly, there were contributions on rising tensions across the state from other members such as Alhaji Bello Ahmad, member representing Agware, Idris Musa, representing Lapai, and Bala Mohammed, representing Borgu.
Others were Hajiya Binta Mamman, representing Gurara, and Abdullahi Shaba, representing Mokwa constituencies.
They decried the increasing rates of activities of bandits in their constituencies which they said had instilled fear in the lives of farmers.
