Insecurity: Reps Summon Finance Minister, Service Chiefs, Others

By Adedapo Adesanya

The House of Representatives has passed a resolution to summon the Minister of Finance, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, alongside the Minister of Defence, Mr Christopher Musa; the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Tunji Disu, and the Director-General of the State Security Service (DSS), Mr Adeola Ajayi, to appear before it to outline details of funds released to the security agencies in the last six months.

Others invited include the service chiefs and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr Mohammed Mohammed.

The green chamber of the National Assembly also urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the recruitment of forest guards in all the states experiencing any form of insecurity, as he did in Oyo State.

Tuesday’s resolutions followed motions of insecurity received in the House amid rising criminal activities in several parts of the country.

Last month, terrorists abducted over 40 students and teachers from some schools in Oyo State.

In Borno, kidnappers also took away scores of students and teachers, with both incidents sparking national outrage.

Amid the wave of mass abductions, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) protested across the country, calling for the release of the abductees.

Several groups also protested and demanded freedom for the kidnapped victims.

In response to the attack in Oyo, President Tinubu sent a high-powered delegation, including his Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu, to the community, among others.

During a meeting with the community, Mr Gbajabiamila said Mr Tinubu is disturbed about the incident. He

Mr Gbajabiamila said Tinubu’s decision to dispatch the nation’s top security leadership to the affected communities reflected his determination to deploy every available resource towards securing the victims’ release.

The President also approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and vowed to defeat insecurity and secure the release of all persons held captive across the country.

He also directed a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.