The House of Representatives has vowed to tackle Illegal Mining and other underlying factors fuelling banditry and other insecurity challenges in the North West.
This followed a resolution on a motion on matters of urgent public importance sponsored by Kabiru Mai Palace at the Plenary on Tuesday.
Presenting the motion, he lamented expressed the pervasive insecurity and banditry which is escalating in the Northwest.
He also lamented that, other criminal elements are also unleashing incidents of violence against innocent Nigerians in other parts of the country.
He said the North West region has seen an increase in the activities of bandits especially the recent abduction of female students of the University of Zamfara State and some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling to Sokoto State.
Mai Palace therefore called on the Federal Government to ensure the release of all abductees, arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice and deploy additional security personnel to vulnerable communities in the region.
Contributing to the debate, Ismail Haruna proposed that, the motion be amended to include Bauchi State and some other parts of the North East witnessing increased banditry in recent times.
Lending his voice, Suleiman Gummi emphasised that, there is need for security agencies and stakeholders to synergise and work together to fight banditry and other security challenges in the North West.
He therefore called on the House to mandate the National Security Adviser to organise a security conference which will pave way for all stakeholders collaborate and tackle the menace of insecurity.
Similarly, Abdullahi Balarabe who also spoke in favour of the motion said, stressed the populace in the affected areas should be involved to actively participate iin the planning of finding ways address banditry and insecurity.
On his part, Isa Mohammed also urged the federal government to implement the resolutions reached at various security related conferences and meetings by the previous administration.
He called for an investigation into the activities and infiltration of illegal miners in the region, which he said is a major factor driving insecurity in the region.
Expressing his views, Bello Kaoje it became necessary to have a more comprehensive investigation into the immediate and underlying causes of banditry and insecurity in the North West, especially its connection to illegal mining.
The House adopted the motion and mandated the joint Committees on Defence, National Security, and Police Affairs to investigate the matter.
It also mandated it’s Committee Legislative Compliance, to ensure compliance and further legislative action.
