The Deputy Senate leader, Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice, has cautioned against ethnic profiling of the rising insecurity, especially, kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria.
“We must not succumb to the insinuation that what is happening is being perpetrated by a particular ethnic group. About two weeks ago there was kidnapping in the creeks of the riverine area of Ondo State. The perpetrators were arrested and were found to be indigene of the state. So I want to plead that we approach this with maturity.”
Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice, who was contributing today, July 16, to a motion raised by Senator Ayo Akinyelure on the murder of Mrs. Funke Olakurin, daughter of the Afenifere leader, stressed: “what I will not like to subscribe to is that this has been perpetrated by a certain group. From the various reports we have received in this chamber, Ibos have been killed, Yorubas have been killed, Hausas have been killed and Fulanis have been killed.”
He said that it is unfortunate that her life was taken abruptly at her prime, using the opportunity to express his condolence to the family, saying that what had happened was not a targeted killing but what he called “a chance occurrence that could happen to any of us. All this has done is to heighten the insecurity.We all have a role to play to ensure this abnormality is restored.
“We should urge the security agencies to find lasting solution to this problem. The vice president when he visited Ondo State suggested the establishment of community policing which I think would help in minimizing the menace of kidnapping, and these killings”.
“I am sure we would all agree that those who are involved if they have good jobs if they have meaningful means of employment they may not be involved in these nefarious activities. Government also has to address the problem of employment which is a major issue.”
On his own, Senator Tolu Odebiyi (Ogun West) said: “I am angry because we have come here several times to deliberate on how Nigerians are being killed left and right”.
“I grieve over these killings because the family that lost their daughter is close to me. More importantly, we cannot just sit and watch how Nigerians who go about their lawful businesses are being killed left and right be it by hoodlums, be it by bandits, whoever they are.
“We have to demand an action by security forces, we have to demand an action from the presidency, we need to stand up and find solution to this problem. There is nothing that we do here that tells if we don’t get our security situation right in this country.”
This was even the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan advocated a national security summit to address the security situation in the country, believing that it is the duty of the senate to organize the security summit to proffer lasting solutions to the incessant killings across the country.
The proposed security summit is coming about 17 months after the Senate held a similar conference to address security challenges.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said that the security conference would be held in conjunction with the Executive arm of Government.
