News from Niger State
Niger Assembly worries over youth restiveness in the state
***Summons Heads of Security agencies to appear before it
The Niger State House of Assembly has expressed grave concern over what it described as the return of youth restiveness in Minna the state capital as it called for a decisive action against the perpetrators.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly Rt Hon Abdulmalik Sarkindaji stated this on Wednesday when he addressed the house at its plenary after i
resumption from one month recess for the Easter and the Sallah celebrations.
Sarkindaji said the return of youth restiveness to the state, especially Minna the state capital is capable of eroding all the gains so far recorded by the present administration in the area of security and the maintenance of law and order.
Although the speaker commended the Governor Umar Mohammed Bago and the various security agencies for the prompt actions taken so far to tame the situation, he expressed the need for a decisive action against the perpetrators and their sponsors.
The speaker specifically pointed out that the action of the miscreants could discourage the legion of investors that are already besieging the state due to the friendly atmosphere provided by the present administration.
He disclosed that the law against thuggery in the state must be immediately revisited by the state assembly in order to empower the security agencies to deal more decisively against the perpetrators.
“As the representatives of people, we can not fold our hands and allow this present youth restiveness go out of hand. “We will immediately revisit the law against all forms of thuggery in the state so as to empower the security agencies to deal with the situation”, he said.
The house therefore resolved to summon all the heads security agencies and other relevant stakeholders in the state to meet with the assembly on Monday to brief the members on the current situation and the possible way out.
Consequently a motion on matter of urgent public importance brought by the Chairman house committee on security and intelligence, Hon Joseph Haruna Duza representing Munya Constituency which called on the government to address the menace of frequent youth restiveness in the state was stepped down until all the heads of security agencies appeared before it.
It would be recalled that youths in some parts of Minna, the state capital went on rampage and seized some major roads and unleashed terror on innocent residents in Sallah day.
Three people were reportedly killed and several injured while property worth hundreds of thousands of naira were either looted or destroyed by the rampaging youths.
However worried by this development, the state Governor Rt Hon Umar Mohammed Bago ordered security agents to shoot at sight any miscreant found to be disturbing the peace of the state, saying that his administration has zero tolerance for any form of violence or criminal activities.