the House of Representatives has asked Police Inspector General Usman Akali and Army Chief of Staff Faruk Yahaya to deploy personnel to raid kidnappers’ hideouts in Anambra state.
He also asked the Chief of the Air Staff, Isiaka Amao, for air support for the operation.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance tabled by Roland Igbakpa (PDP, Delta) on Wednesday during plenary.
Introducing the motion, Mr. Igbakpa informed his colleagues about the kidnapping of Steady Idisi and Emmanuel Ifie, by men suspected of being members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
He said the two victims were reportedly abducted from Anambra state and taken to Orsumoghu forest.
Mr. Igbakpa added that Mr. Idisi, who is from Ovo, Ehtiope East LGA of Delta State, was abducted on February 20 while traveling to Port Harcourt from Asaba, the capital of Delta State.
He said that Idisi and his friend were kidnapped by suspected IPOB militants at Orsumoghu in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State.
Mr. Igbakpa also revealed that Gab Ofoma, a businessman from Nnewi in Anambra State, was killed on the same road on the same day.
Recounting an account from an escapee from the hideout, Mr. Igbakpa said that there are more than 100 kidnapped victims in the hideout.
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“There’s electricity, generators, off-road vehicles, and it’s like a City of its own, where evil reigns. By the same account, more than 100 people are held captive in that camp and are intermittently killed at the pleasure of the bandits,” he said.
He said that “the properly coordinated and concerted intelligence-driven interagency efforts by the police, military, and other security agencies in the form of a joint operation to continually raid the entire area, as has been done in the past, is essential right now.” point to confront this threat in order to dislodge the bandits and free their victims.”
Contributing to the motion, Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) blamed the APC-led government for insecurity in the country.
“Since the APC-led government came to power, there has been an increase in brutality by Nigerians to make sure that our people, who should be on the farm to produce food, don’t get the chance to do so,” he said.
The debate dovetailed into a partisan theme, as Majority Leader Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) attacked the main opposition party, the PDP. “I want to remind the minority leader that we are running a federal democracy. We have the federal units. Of course, every federal unit has its constitutional responsibility. But I want to believe that even the governors of the southern states have the same responsibility to protect the lives and property of the people they govern. Whether he controls the police or not, I assume that the governors of the south are the main security officers of their respective states. What are your governors doing?
Consequently, the House resolved that the Army, Police, and Air Force Committees ensure compliance and report to the House within two weeks.