The Senate has asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to declare a full-scale war on bandits terrorising parts of Nigeria after their designation as terrorists.
The request followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by the senator representing Niger East, Musa Sani, at plenary on Tuesday.
The motion was titled, ‘Recent bandits attack on communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State: A call for action.’
While commending Buhari for ordering air bombardment of the terrorists’ bases, the Senate called on “the Federal Government to declare a full-fledge war on these unscrupulous elements since they have been declared as terrorists.”
The lawmakers also called on the Federal Government to establish a military base in Shiroro, saying it would help to restore confidence in the security and safety of the affected communities as well as protect national assets located within the area such as the Shiroro hydro-electric power dam.
Moving the motion, Musa noted that several persons were confirmed killed in an attack by terrorists in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
He added that on Friday, five vigilante members were killed in an attack on a local market and some communities in Shiroro.
He said during the attack, there was a lot of destruction, with many people sustaining multiple gunshot injuries and others kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination.
He said, “The current sad reality is that there is no longer a semblance of security in the whole of Lakpma axis of Shiroro Local Government Area.
“These attacks by armed groups have continued in the North-west and North-Central Niger State despite repeated government assurance to address the escalating atrocities.
“Over 151,380 people, mostly peasant farmers, were displaced by the activities of bandits in the last two years.
“The displaced persons were registered in 13 local government areas of the state, with the Rafi council area neighbouring Zamfara and Kaduna topping the chart with 28, 987 displaced persons.”
Meanwhile, a bill seeking to make it an offence for any landlord to demand payment of advance rent from tenants of residential and office buildings and spaces beyond three months was laid before the Senate on Tuesday.
The senator representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi, sponsored the bill titled ‘Advanced Rent Residential Apartments, Office Spaces, Etc, Regulation Bill 2022.’
Adeyemi, who addressed journalists after the bill passed first reading, said the bill would enable tenants to make a maximum advance payment of three months’ rent, with subsequent monthly payment.
He said, “We discovered that landlords are compelling tenants to make one-year and two-year advance rent payments before they would give them keys to their apartments.
“It may not be an issue to quite a number of people but to many others, it is a great pain for them. Most Nigerians need the protection of the law to be able to meet their basic needs after paying rent.”
He said the proposed law stipulates a maximum advance rent payment of three months after which the tenants are expected to pay monthly.
Also on Tuesday, the Senate honoured the former Head of the Interim National Government of Nigeria, Chief Ernest Shonekan, resolving that the Federal Government should immortalise him.
The Senate also resolved to send a delegation to condole with the Shonekan family, the government and the people of Ogun State on his death.
The chamber, thereafter, held a one-minute silence in honour of Shonekan, who died on January 11, 2022, in Lagos at the age of 85.
