The House of Representatives at plenary yesterday.
The increasing spate of killings and kidnappings going on across Nigeria has became a source of great border to its lawmakers as they are now asking the police and other security agencies to ascribe urgency to ending the evil.
The House has therefore mandated its relevant committees to work with security agencies in the country and report back within six weeks.
The House of Representatives at its plenary yesterday, Tuesday, urged security agencies to as a matter of urgency end the killings and kidnappings going on especially in the South-East geopolitical zone.
The lawmaker representing Nnewi-North/Nnewi-South Federal Constituency in Anambra State at the House, Chris Azubogu moved the motion of urgent public importance on the matter.
His motion was titled, ‘Urgent Need to Look into Cases of Unresolved Kidnappings/Insecurity in the South-East/Anambra.’
Particularly irksome to the member was the kidnap of one Mr. Obiora Agbasimalo, candidate of the Labour Party for the Anambra governorship election who was kidnapped on the 18th of September, 2021, in Anambra State and has still not been released or heard from since then.
According to Azubogu, “The House notes that there have been a lot of cases of missing persons in the South-East and in Anambra State in particular. Amongst other crimes recorded during the period was the kidnap of one Mr. Obiora Agbasimalo, candidate of the Labour Party for the Anambra governorship election. He was kidnapped on the 18th of September, 2021, in Anambra State.
“The House also observes that about five engineers working with Melan Consultants in Effium Ebonyi State were also kidnapped since 3rd November, 2021, and nothing has also been heard till date. These, with numerous other unresolved cases, create a high level of sense of insecurity in the South-East.
“The House is concerned that till today, many weeks after and still counting, nothing has been heard about most of these cases. These persons have families and loved ones who are already broken and left in perpetual agony.
“The House is worried that if nothing tangible is done to at least provide hope for these families, we might end up losing them too.”
In adopting the motion, the House unanimously granted the prayer urging security agencies – the Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps – to “quickly get to the root of these unresolved cases across the country.”
