The Senate on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to consider far-reaching emergency measures, including the possible suspension of political activities in eight frontline states, as insecurity continues to escalate across parts of the country.
The call, which underscores growing concern within the National Assembly over renewed insurgent offensives, followed a point of order raised by the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, during plenary.
He said, “Mr President, we cannot continue to think that because we are in Abuja, therefore this thing (insecurity) does not affect us.
“One of the things that we must do, and I want us to take this issue very seriously, is either to suspend all political activities across this country or look at the frontline states of Borno, Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi and some parts of Kano.
“We need to suspend activities in these states until we are sufficiently certain that the insecurity challenges are over.
“This is because we are not dealing with this insecurity issue at all. And I am not blaming anybody. We cannot come here every time to lament.”
Ningi’s warning comes amid a resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, including coordinated assaults on military formations and fresh threats issued against any forceful rescue attempts of abducted civilians.