By Joy Odor
The Nigerian Senate has announced plans to hold meetings with critical stakeholders in each geo-political zone to address the country’s security concerns.
The Senate’s Ad-hoc Committee on National Security Summit, chaired by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, aimed to unearth the root causes of security challenges and devise pragmatic measures to restore peace and stability in troubled areas.
The Senate leaders highlighted the various security challenges facing the country, including:-
– *Banditry and Kidnapping*: Prevalent in the North-west region.
– *Terrorism and Extremist Violence*: A major concern in the North-east region.
– *Farmers-Herders Crisis*: Affecting the North-central region.
– *Separatism and Gang Violence*: A growing concern in the South-east region.
– *Environmental Conflict and Oil Theft*: A challenge in the South-south region.
– *Abduction and Ritual Killing*: Increasing cases in the South-west region.
According to him, the Committee’s approach includes:-
– *Regional Engagement*: Holding meetings with stakeholders in each geo-political zone to understand the root causes of security challenges and identify key actors behind them.
– *Victim Engagement*: Engaging with victims of armed violence to gather diverse perspectives and insights into the challenges.
– *Stakeholder Engagement*: Interacting with stakeholders to gather suggestions and ideas on how to transform insecurity into effective order.
Senator Bamidele therefore emphasized the need for peace and security, stating that no amount of money invested in infrastructure development can guarantee tangible outcomes without peace and stability.
He opined that the Committee aimed to work round the clock to come up with far-reaching measures to bring about peace and stability.
