By NAOMI SHARANG

The Senate has called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts aimed at the safe rescue and release of all abducted women and children from Woro community in Kwara.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the call was sequel to renewed concerns over killings and general insecurity in Kaima Local Government Area of the state.

The upper chamber also called all on the federal government to redesign and comprehensively clear the forest reserve of criminal elements and consider the strategic establishment of security formations, where necessary.

It equally urged the federal and state governments to provide comprehensive support, resources and well-structured programmes for displaced farmers and residents of Wora community in neighboring areas.

This, according to the senate, is to restore their livelihoods, rebuild economic resilience and enable them to regain sustainable economic stability.

The senate’s resolutions followed a Point of Order raised by Sen. Sadiq Umar (APC-Kwara) on the “Killings of Over 100 innocent persons in Woro Communities of Kaima Local Government Area”, during plenary on Tuesday.

Moving the motion, Umar said the senate was concerned that communities in remote and forest-bordering areas would be more vulnerable and require enhanced protection and early warning mechanisms to prevent loss of lives and humanitarian crises.

He, however, acknowledged the prompt humanitarian interventions of President Bola Tinubu, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Kwara State Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross.

He also appreciated the subsequent deployment of personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigerian Police Force to the affected communities.

In his contribution, Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, said that the matter of attack and killing of innocent persons in Wora community was a sad one.

“The issue of insecurity, the issue of banditry, kidnapping, abductions and killings of innocent persons have become a recurring decimal.

“The president of this country has been talking very tough on insecurity and I want to believe that as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the president means well for Nigerians.

“It is alarming that in spite of the efforts and pronouncement from the federal government, killings have continued across the country and especially in Kwara in recent times.

“I still want to think that there is much more that we can do. I urge that the ad hoc committee of the senate on security that is proposing a security summit to reawaken its activities and aggressively pursue the holding of that national summit.

“This, I think, is the only way that the senate as a legislative body can come up with a legislative intervention that will shape the policy of government in terms of reviewing our security architecture and our approach to insecurity problems across the country,” Moro said.

Similarly, Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi) said that the country had the capacity to deal with the bandits and kidnappers, while Sen. Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe) urged the senate to work with the executive to recruit more soldiers and security forces.

NAN reports that after a voice vote by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over plenary, all the prayers of the motion were adopted. (NAN)

Update news