The Senate on Wednesday, September 29, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits as terrorists and wage total war against them.
It also told President Buhari to bomb all bandits’ locations to annihilate them.
It urged the President to declare all known leaders of bandits wanted and arrest them wherever they were for speedy prosecution.
The resolution was sequel to a motion on banditry in Sokoto State; particularly at Sokoto East Senatorial District sponsored by Sen. Ibrahim Gobir (APC-Sokoto) and co-sponsored by eight senators.
Leading debate on the motion and appeal to Buhari, Sen. Gobir noted that Sokoto East Senatorial District had become a safe haven for bandits escaping from the military crackdown on them in Zamfara.
He said it was of serious concern that on Sept. 25; rampaging bandits killed 21 security personnel in Dama and Gangara villages in the area.
The senator said 15 of those killed were soldiers; while three each were from the Mobile Police Force and from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
He said that there was yet to be ascertained a number of civilians from the neighbouring villages that were also affected by the attack.
“This has gone to portray the seriousness of the problem which requires concerted and urgent action; by the declaration of total war on banditry,’’ he stressed.
Sen. Gobir added that it was worrisome that losing such a number of trained security personnel would further deplete the numerical strength of the security personnel in the country.
He said that most of the bandits had relocated to Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas in Sokoto State due to the sustained military operations at the Zamfara axis.
He observed that while the crackdown on the bandits was taking place in Zamfara; serious measures were not taken to protect neighbouring Sokoto State, leaving the latter totally exposed to bandits.
He also expressed worry that the present military onslaught on bandits was not well coordinated; because it was concentrated only on Zamfara.
