TheCable

The senate has asked security agencies to deploy drones and helicopters to monitor forests and ungoverned areas in Nigeria.

The resolution of the upper legislative chamber followed a motion sponsored by Ajayi Boroffice, lawmaker representing Ondo north, on Wednesday.

The senate’s decision is in reaction to the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo on June 5 in Ondo state which left about 40 persons dead and many others hospitalised. 

After observing a one-minute silence in honour of the victims, the lawmakers asked security agencies to intensify efforts to investigate the matter with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

 They also asked for collaboration among various security agencies on intelligence gathering and sharing.

While noting the killings across the country, Boroffice said such a “massacre” could be a trigger for inter-religious conflicts and ethnic war in Nigeria.

Contributing to the debate, Nicholas Tofowomo, senator representing Ondo south, said, “Our internal security is still very defective”.

On his part, Istifanus Gyang, senator representing Plateau north, asked religious leaders in the country to desist from inciting their followers through religious messages, adding that doing otherwise poses a significant security threat to the country.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan said: “One thing that is so imperative is for security agencies to continue to protect our citizens, and where we encounter breaches, the perpetrators must be fished out and then the law takes its full course.”