The Nigerian Senate has ordered the country’s Service Chiefs to step aside over raging insecurity.
It directs President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately appoint new ones with fresh ideas.
The resolution of the upper legislative chamber followed a motion sponsored by Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south and chairman of the committee on army.
Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Defence Staff; Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff; Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, and Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, are all overdue for retirement.
Despite calls for their sack, President Muhammadu Buhari has kept them in office.
While moving the motion, Ndume expressed worry that over 200 soldiers have resigned from the army and that many other members of the armed forces who are scared of losing their lives are also in the process of leaving the military, adding this could affect the fight against insurgency.
“The senate notes with concern the number of casualties among the Nigerian army and other security agencies,” he said.
“That just recently 24 soldiers were ambushed and killed along Maiduguri-Damboa road in Borno state, 19 were wounded and nine were declared missing in action.
“In Katsina, soldiers were also ambushed and killed while several others were wounded, the number of casualties is not known.
“The senate appreciates the sacrifice of our armed forces in the fight against the insurgency and banditry and protection of territorial integrity and several other security assignments given to them.
“The senate is concerned that if the trend continues, it would have serious implications on the fight against insurgency, banditry.
“It has been alleged that over 200 soldiers voluntarily resigned their engagement or appointment with the Nigerian army.”
The upper legislative chamber also asked the federal government to equip the troops with modern weapons.
The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
The joint committees on Defence, Army, Air force, Police, and Interior were also mandated to receive briefings from the new service chiefs and the Minister of Interior on the disturbing development.
Scooper had reaported how Buratai, on Monday said the various shades of insecurity in different parts of the country will end as soon as Nigerians want them to end.
Buratai stated this when he addressed State House Correspondents after a closed-doors meeting with President Muhmmadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa.
Buratai, who noted that various ongoing military operations in the north and other parts of the country were progressing successfully, also said that the security situation in the north had been brought under control, saying the situation had become better than it was a few months ago.
However, it would be recalled that a couple of bloody incidences had been reported in different parts of the country, especially in the north, in the last few days.
Reports had it that 19 persons were shot dead in Kukum Daji Village, Kaduna State Sunday night, while suspected bandits ambushed and killed 16 soldiers in Katsina on Saturday.
Responding to a question posed by correspondents on whether there was a possibility of the various violent crises across the country being finally put down, the Chief of Army Staff said the various criminal activities besetting the country would end if Nigerians come together to end them.
According to him, those engaging in the violent and criminal activities were almost all Nigerians, saying “these terrorists, 99 percent of them are Nigerians. These kidnappers I will say 100 percent of them are Nigerians.
“As to whether banditry, terrorism and so on will end, I think it all depends. If Nigerians want it to end today, I can assure you it will end today, if everybody joins hands because these bandits are not outside Nigeria, they are not from foreign land.
