The security committee had about two weeks ago embarked on a tour of 21 LGAs, so as to carry out an on the spot assessment of the security situation at the grassroots level, and the steps needed to be taken towards confronting such challenges.
During the visit, the members of the committee engaged critical stakeholders in a discussion during which the stakeholders briefed the committee on the peculiarities of insecurity facing every LGA, and unanimously adopted several resolutions on how to holistically address those problems.
Interestingly, the targeted stakeholders including all the 21 LGC Chairmen and other principal officers, the Divisional Police Officers, Nigerian Army, DSS, Local Hunters/Vigilante Groups, Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Representatives of Farmers' Association and Herders and hosts of others met with Hon. Ibrahim Musa Italiya led security committe and interacted extensively on how to end insecurity.
The visit by Hon. Ibrahim Musa Italiya led security Committee brought the Honourable Members to the stark reality of how Adamawa citizens are living in fear and bondage of reoccurring and intense clashes between farmers and herdsmen, incessant communal clashes, armed banditry, rampant cases of rape, kidnapping, operation of the dreaded Shila boys among others.
Already, the committee which rounded up the tour of the LGAs sometimes last week, was left with no option than to confront Service Chiefs in the state and other security brass in order to brief them on the information obtained as well as create synergy geared towards curbing the menace.
It is based on the foregoing that the committee said it cannot afford to continue to allow harpless citizens to be killed, maimed, raped, abducted and threatened in farms and houses at will; hence the urgent need for security agencies to beef up efforts towards curtailing security threats.
The Honourable Members regretted that they do not see reasons why government will be expending huge resources on monthly basis on security, yet the challenges appear to be persisting, and promised to continue to meet with relevant security agencies at the LGs and State levels to deliberate on how best to proffer lasting solution on the issues.
In fact, what seemed to have disturbed the membership of committee has been the alleged arrests and releases of suspects who after having their way back to their communities threaten to kill those who led to their arrest.
Though, the committee which rounded up the tour of the LGAs sometimes last week, was left with no option than to confront Service Chiefs in the state and other top security officers and brief them on the information obtained as well as create synergy geared towards curbing the menace.
More so, during the visit at the LG level, the committee informed the stakeholders about the move by the 7th Assembly to enact an executive legislation for the establishment of Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission to be manned by religious leaders and possibly traditional rulers in order to mediate on issues more especially communal, farmer and herder clashes.
Briefing the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adeyanju, and other Senior Officers of the command in his office on Monday, the Member of the Committee and Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Japhet Kefas(Gombi) told the CP that they have been receiving series of complaints from their constituents on the kind of security challenges they face.
Hon. Japhet informed the CP that their electorate no longer sleep with their two eyes closed due to armed banditry, kidnapping, rape, farmer/ herder clashes, lamenting that some of their people no longer go to farm due insecurity, and said it is high time to take serious action towards addressing those challenges.
The Lawmaker said the committee was mandated by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aminu Iya Abbas to go round all the 21 LGAs purposely to collect information from relevant stakeholders pertaining security issues and on the move by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to create the commission.
He told them that they cannot rest on their oars and allow things to go amiss, saying that the committee and the house must definitely do something about the challenges, and however promised to back the command so as to succeed in combating crime.
Responding, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adeyanju said that the command is doing everything possible to make the state safe for everybody, saying it was due to the commitment of their officers and men that they succeeded in arresting so many suspects, and said Adamawa is far better compared to other states in terms of security.
While at the Department of State Security Service, Hon. Kefas narrated the experience of the committee during the visit, and pledged to collaborate with the department to enable it contribute its part in making their communities habitable.
He said that security is everybody's business and should not be left in the hands of security agencies alone, saying the concern of the committee at the moment is to see that their electorate live peacefully, go about their businesses without any fear of the unknown.
On his part, the Director DSS in the State, Bolade Olorin commended the committee for embarking on the oversight function, saying that the security situation of the state giving everybody a concern and that the Department will continue to do its best to ensure peace and stability.
Also speaking at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), Hon. Kefas told the command that the committee had found out that most of those that engage in crime are drug addicts, and said that consumption of illicit drugs contribute about 90 percent to the crime being committed today.
He called on the command to redouble its efforts, carry out enlightenment campaigns in their constituencies, and expressed the readiness of the members in supporting command to rid the state free from the consumption of hard drugs.
While responding, the Commander NDLEA, Mohammed B. Idris thanked the members for the visit, saying that he assumed duty in the state barely 6 months ago, and that his mission in the state is to make sure that the state feels the impact of the command.
Mohammed told the committee that whenever consumption of drugs is reduced, crime will also reduce, and called on all to be proactive in waging war against it.
The membership of the committee include; Hon. Ibrahim Musa Italiya (Mayo Brlwa), Chairman, Hon. Haruna Jilantikiri(Madagali), Vice Chairman, Hon. Japhet Kefas(Gombi), Hon. Bathiya Wesley(Hong), Hon. Abdyllahi Umar Nyako(Toungo), and Hon. Umar Nashon Gubi(Nasarawo Binyeri) as members of the committee.
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