Adedokun Waliyu 
The Senate has asked the security chiefs to use biometric systems in nabbing criminals including kidnappers and terrorists.
The Senate also stressed the need for collaboration between the security agencies and the Ministry of Interior in tracking criminals electronically.
The upper legislative chamber stated these on Tuesday when it met service chiefs and heads of other security agencies on the rising insecurity in the country.
The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, started at 12.3pm and ended at 9.30pm.
Those present at the meeting were the Chief of Army Staff, Lt – -General Taoheed Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director General of Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
Others are the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawale, Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam, Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Ibrahim; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
The Senate had two weeks ago called for a meeting with only the security chiefs, but adjourned the meeting with a view to seeking robust opinions with sister organisations and connected ministries.
Addressing the press after the marathon meeting, the Spokesperson for the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu said, “ We spoke the truth to ourselves because we were very concerned about the security.
“And if we are talking about growth and development, there is no way; we can push security out of it.’’
The lawmaker added that the Senate listened to security chiefs who also expressed some of their challenges.
He added, “They told us of so many other issues and we also relayed to them our experiences and those of our constituents of what they have been facing. Samples of what had happened, the horrendous situations that Nigerians had found themselves in, even in Abuja here.
“The service chiefs allayed our fears and even answered our questions satisfactorily. They communicated their plans to nip insecurity in the bud.”
Senator Adramodu said, “They told us even what they have been doing, even about the Bwari Kidnap saga and how they have been able to arrest the suspects who are currently under trial.
He said the Senate asked the interior minister to ensure the use of biometric systems in arresting kidnappers.
The senator stated, “When we asked the interior minister how his ministry can collaborate with security chiefs, he spoke about how standardization and certification of citizen’s identities can help to apprehend criminals through VIN (vehicle identification number), BVN (bank verification number), NIN ( national identity number) .”
Adaramodu explained further, “It means that with the touch of a finger, you can get the identity of a citizen; so no citizen will be able to bear two or more identities which has been making it difficult to apprehend a citizen when he or she commits a crime.
“Also, we got assurances on our border patrol that our borders are manned seriously and we need more men to man our borders.”
Akpabio, who addressed journalists earlier, stated that the Senate believed in the security agencies and passed a vote of confidence on them.
He said, “After listening to the security chiefs, the Senate is convinced that serious measures are already being carried out against criminals in the country by the various security agencies.
“Such actions are indeed, yielding results with the arrest of many of the criminal non-state actors within the last few days which would surely bring about, a secure and safe country for us all.
According to him, the Senate is particularly impressed with the arrest of about 90 per cent of those who perpetrated heinous crimes across the country recently.
He, however, urged the various security agencies, to do more by enduring synergy in their operations for total security of lives and property in the country.
Despite the implementation of the Subscriber Identity Module linkage to National Identification Number policy, kidnappers and bandits still use mobile phones with SIM cards to demand huge ransom from their victims’ families.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had said while launching the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in Nigerian Telecoms Sector and Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Cards registration in 2021 said proper identification of all Nigerians and legal residents in the country and the ability to conveniently access a database will enhance effective planning and security oversight.
“The NIN will cover one of the weaknesses in our security structure. We will be able to easily identify and know the personality of Nigerians. We will identify people easily, including the crooks,’’ he had said.
But to evade arrest, the kidnappers resorted to using victims’ phones to negotiate for ransom from their families.
For example, one of the victims from The Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti told the media that the kidnappers used their phones for negotiations when they were kidnapped on January 29.
However, it had earlier been reported on January 29 reported that a shortage of tracking equipment was hindering the police in investigating kidnapping cases.
