The minority caucus in the House of Representatives has called on security agencies to change their tactics of engagement, and act swiftly and decisively to curtail insecurity in the country.
Rep. Kingsley Chinda, the leader of the caucus, said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday while expressing concern over insecurity in the country.
Chinda said that the frequent abductions of travellers on the nation’s highways had become worrisome.
He decried a series of recent kidnappings of commuters in the country, adding that the kidnapped citizens should be rescued unharmed and the perpetrators brought to justice.
He added that the 29 medical students whisked away by gunmen in Benue while travelling for a conference threatened the future of education and healthcare in the country.
“These young men and women, dedicated to pursuing knowledge and bettering the lives of their fellow Nigerians, must not be left to suffer in the hands of criminals,” he said.
He condemned the kidnapping of Malam Isa Bawa, the Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa district in Sokoto State, and his son, describing it as an affront to traditional institutions.
The lawmaker also said that the killing of Tanimu Kunbiya, the Gara of Chanchanji, and his son Yusuf in Taraba State did not augur well for the country.
According to the Chinda, our interstate highway systems, which serve as the backbone of our transportation system, have become deathtraps and the staging posts of kidnappers.
“Extortionists and criminal elements of the dark underworld have taken over the nation’s highways.
“The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives is gravely worried about the prevailing conditions of our interstate highways and the general state of insecurity in our country, ” he said.
He expressed concern and outrightly condemned the recent kidnappings that have further highlighted the alarming state of insecurity in the country.