By NAOMI SHARANG

The Senate on Wednesday adopted the interim report of its Ad hoc Committee on National Security Summit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sessions, held at selected centres in the six geo-political zones of the country, served as a guide to the planned January 2026 National Security Summit.

This followed the presentation and consideration of the report by the Chairman and Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, during plenary.

The report called for a review of the country’s security architecture such that the focus in fighting insecurity would be “proactive rather than reactive.”

Presenting the report, Bamidele said that participants at the summit listed state police, deployment of modern technology in combating terrorism, kidnapping/banditry, prosecution of terror sponsors and ranching of cattle among strong actions to be taken in the war against insecurity.

The report noted that the current practice whereby security agencies scamper for solutions after a security breach had occurred did not provide any sense of safety to the citizenry.

The report recommended improved inter-agency collaboration by all security agencies in intelligence gathering, sharing and eventual counter-terrorism operations.

“Participants called for a halt in the practice of animals roaming communities and suggested ranching as a solution to reduce frequent clashes between farm owners and armed herders,” it stated.

The report added that communities must have a right of access to their ancestral lands as against the growing trend of foreigners invading and occupying lands, having displaced the inhabitants.

To address some of the root causes of insecurity, the report called for creation of a special fund by the Federal Government to tackle unemployment, poverty, corruption, drug abuse, hunger, literacy and radicalism.

It also recommended the establishment of inter-religious and ethnic bodies in all communities to promote harmony among people of different leanings, in addition to empowering traditional rulers to function fully as leaders in rural settings.

The report also touched on mining control and review of outdated border laws to regulate illegal migration and other activities posing danger to security.

NAN reports that the recommendations were adopted by the lawmakers without the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, calling for a debate. (NAN)

Update news