Resign over killing of soldiers, mass resignation in military-Senate tells Service Chiefs
The Nigerian Senate has asked the Service Chiefs to resign over the recent killing of soldiers as well as the recent mass resignation from the military.
The lawmakers at plenary on Tuesday also resolved to invite the top brass of the military to brief the relevant committees of the senate on the factors militating against their success in the war against terror, kidnapping, banditry and other vices bedeviling the country.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai had on Monday said that the military alone cannot fight insecurity in the country after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House,\ Abuja. The Army Chief noted that 90% of Kidnappers, bandits and armed robbers are Nigerians, hence the need for citizens to be involved in information sharing with security personnel.
The Senate observed a minute silence in honour of the soldiers and members of other security agencies that lost their lives in the fight against insurgency.
The resolutions followed a motion entitled: “Rising casualties among Nigerian soldiers and other security agencies” moved by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume representing Borno South senatorial district.
Senator Ali Ndume had lamented that 24 soldiers were recently killed in an ambush by insurgents in Danboa, 19 wounded and nine others reported missing during the attack by insurgents.
He he noted in the lead debate that another 20 soldiers were killed during a similar ambush in Kachina while others were wounded.
The lawmaker said that while the Senate appreciates the sacrifices being made by members of the Armed Forces in the fight against insurgency, it is however concerned about the negative effects of the killings on the war against insurgency, especially the reported mass resignation of over 200 soldiers fighting in the front lines.
