Adedokun Waliyu 
The Senate has asked the Federal Government to urgently deploy more military personnel and operatives of other security agencies to flush out Boko Haram insurgents from the Lake Chad region.
This request followed a ‘Point of Order’ raised by Senator Abubakar Kyari during plenary on Thursday in the Senate Chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.
Senator Kyari, who represents Borno North senatorial district, drew the attention of his colleagues to fresh Boko Haram attacks that have led to the death of scores of people in his state.
The emotional lawmaker narrated how the insurgents recently invaded villages in Borno, saying over 90 people, including women and children, were killed.
In its resolutions, the Senate urged the Federal Government to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and North East Development Commission (NEDC) to immediately send relief materials to the victims of the attacks.
It also called on the government to immediately begin the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Senate Advocacy Committee on Security Challenges.
The lawmakers also resolved to observe a minute of silence in honour of those who lost their lives, adding that the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives should meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to work out new strategies to confront Boko Haram in the North East.
In his contribution, Senate President Ahmad Lawan decried that Boko Haram has metamorphosed from a group of “maybe religious zealots” into a full-fledged industry.
He added that the Senate had passed several resolutions on the insecurity in the country with all stakeholders carried along, but the issue has persisted.
Senator Ali Ndume, on his part, noted that the activities of Boko Haram have lingered for too long and it was about time to deal decisively with the menace.
