Insecurity: Senate Asks FG to Mop up Arms in Circulation

Insecurity: Senate Asks FG to Mop up Arms in Circulation

Seeks capacity status of NNPC’s four refineries

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Senate has called on the federal government to ensure that all security agencies mop up all small arms and light weapons in circulation with a view to addressing the rising wave of insecurity in the country.

This is coming as the Senate yesterday requested from the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kyari, a brief on the capacity status of the four refineries in the country.

It also urged the executive to take proactive measures to curtail insecurity and malicious killings ravaging parts of the country.

Adopting a motion entitled: “Urgent need for the Senate’s intervention on the militia attack on Okokolo in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State,” sponsored by Senator Abba Moro (Benue South) and four others, the Senate equally charged relevant security agencies to be proactive in order to forestall future occurrence of such ugly situation.

While condemning the attacks in Agatu communities, the upper chamber directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately intervene to provide relief materials to the affected people.

Presenting the motion, Senator Moro said the June 30 attack occurred at a church in Okokolo town led to the death of over 25 persons, adding that “this has created fears, anxieties, and agonies among the settlers leading them to desert their homes”.

According to him, the illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons has contributed in no small measure to the attacks on the town.

In his remarks, Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, said the Ninth Assembly would work with the executive arm of government in order to address the rising level of insecurity in the country.

Meanwhile, the Senate also yesterday resolved to investigate the delay in the construction of the Ikot Ekpene -Aba road, which was awarded to Nigercat Construction Company since 2008.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday requested from the new Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Kyari, a brief on the capacity status of the four refineries in the country.

Apart from supplying the Senate with detailed information on the production of the four refineries located in Warri, Port Harcourt, Eleme and Kaduna, the NNPC helmsman is also expected to give a detailed information on the capacity level of newly licensed modular refineries in the country.

The upper chamber also urged it’s Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Upstream) Resources, when constituted, to report back on the status of the refineries within two months

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