The Senate Committee on Army, on Monday, expressed concern that the Nigerian Army was being overwhelmed since it started providing internal security in different states of the federation.
It said though the Army shouldn’t be involved in internal security arrangements but for plethora of security challenges facing the country.
The committee, however, urged the military to go after kidnappers and bandits terrorising different parts of the country.
This is coming less than 24 hours after 15 people were killed and and many others abducted along Kaduna-Abuja expressway.
The incident happened around Gidan Busa, a village not far away from Rijana, which is 133 kilometres to Abuja when when the kidnappers blocked the highway and opened fire on unsuspecting travellers.
The committee’s Chairman, Mohammed Ali Ndume, said the Army was currently operating in at least 33, out of 36 states of the Federation.
He spoke while meeting with the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Usman Mohammed, during an oversight visit to various Army formations in Kaduna State.
He said: “We are delighted to be here. We insisted on this oversight visit for some reasons. The Army is facing its own challenges. By our constitution, the Army isn’t supposed to be involved in civil security.
“But we have security challenges across every part of the country. The Army had to be drafted to provide internal security.
“The Army is overwhelmed. Imagine they operate in about 33 to 34 states across Nigeria. They’re very overstretched. They don’t have the number. The Army we used to know is very different from the Army of today. But we are hoping that things will get better. As a country, we are known to have a formidable Army. But these days, we are worried.”
Ndume said the Sunday killing and kidnapping along Kaduna-Abuja road was worrisome after it had experienced peace.
“The security situation is also alarming. Unfortunately, the Army doesn’t have the number needed to provide security,” he said.
Two killed not 15 along Kaduna-Abuja road
The Army said that only two persons were killed along Kaduna-Abuja road on Sunday, contrary to media reports which put the casualty figure at 15.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Usman Mohammed, said the two victims were a driver and a woman.
He also said that nine persons who were kidnapped by the bandits were freed on Sunday by soldiers, who immediately swung into action as soon as the attack happened.
He, however, assured that more camps belonging to bandits will be located and destroyed in the coming days.
He said: “We are not unmindful of the security challenges. Right now, we have three operations going. There is one along the Kaduna-Abuja road. We are going after bandits during this Christmas period. We will flush them out. We have been seeing their recent hand along that road. We will keep doing our best.
“We always go after the bandits in their camps. We have dislodged them from their camps. On Sunday, only two persons were killed. Nine persons were kidnapped. We went after them and the kidnappers left their victims and ran away.
“It is false to say that 15 people were killed. That’s not true. We will keep dislodging them. We will redouble our efforts and ensure that they don’t have their way.”
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