Insecurity: What IGP Adamu told the Senate

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday told federal lawmakers that the police are making efforts to tackle the insecurity across the country as well as sanction erring officers within their fold, Senate President Bukola Saraki said.

Mr Adamu appeared before the Senate in plenary and briefed the lawmakers over the spate of kidnappings across Nigeria.

He appeared alongside the special adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, and police officers.

The IGP was invited by the Senate on April 25 to brief the Senate on security matters as well as proffer lasting solutions to the menace of violent crimes across the country.

The invitation was one of the many resolutions the lawmakers made after a deliberation on a motion on the “senseless killing of a Briton and the abduction of three others in a Holiday Resort in Kaduna State by armed bandits” sponsored by Shehu Sani (PRP, Kaduna Central).

At the start of plenary, the Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan, prayed that his colleagues take the security briefing from the IGP before any other matter of the day.

He thereafter, moved that the Senate resolve into the committee of the whole and invite Messrs Adamu and Enang into the chamber.

The Senate then went into executive session at about 11:25 a.m.

After the meeting which lasted for about two and a half hours behind closed doors, Mr Saraki said the IGP briefed the Senate on armed banditry, kidnappings, robberies, terrorist activities and other security challenges in the country.

According to him, Mr Adamu promised to improve security on the Abuja-Kaduna road.

He also said the Nigerian Police stated the efforts being made at ameliorating the situation and the challenges and that they hoped to address the menace squarely.

“The IGP promised to address the areas that have to do with disciplining of officers that have been found wanting. Efforts will be taken to improve on the situation, particularly on the Abuja-Kaduna axis and also on areas of intelligence and technology.

“The Senate also promised and committed that it is ready at any time to give assistance to provide adequate funding that is required in order to make the police be able to combat the necessary threats to our security,” he said.

The IGP’s appearance before the Senate has been commended by both lawmakers and political watchers. This is because the former IGP, Ibrahim Idris, snubbed the Senate’s invitation four times last year.