Wednesday October 3, was another day of grief and lamentation in the Senate. It was a replica of the session on August 18, when the lawmakers took turns to mourn one of their own, Senator Gyang Dantong, who died fleeing from trigger happy invaders at a burial ceremony in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State .
This time around senators grieved over the reprehensible murder of 46 students of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State by yet to be identified gunmen.
As it was in the case of Senator Dantong, some senators struggled to hold back tears, while others felt the time is ripe for stringent measures to be invited on those who have elected to make human life worth less than a kobo in the country.
Some of the lawmakers could not comprehend how a group of blood thirsty individuals could invade a higher institution of learning in the dead of the night, call students by their names and slaughter them like rams taken to the slaughter.
The federal lawmakers kicked and cursed those behind the senseless killing. Some demanded instant justice, few of them were lost in thought while others were tongue-tied apparently thinking of the demon that has taken over the nation.
Senate President, Senator David Mark, was one of those sufficiently angered by the manner the Mubi students were killed.
Mark, known for straight talk, especially, at times of national emergency could not hide his indignation over the horrific incident. His body language and what he said was enough to fire the chamber.
He posited that the perpetrators of the heinous crime should be used to test the capital punishment when they are apprehended.
Some senators doubted if the real perpetrators of the crime would ever be found.
Senator Bindowo Mohammed Jibrilla, who brought the incident to the attention of the Senate through a motion of national urgent importance, did not say much.
Jibrilla may have been battling with heavy heart due to the unfortunate incident or he lacked words to describe the death of 46 students in his sleepy constituency of Adamawa North.
He simply said that the wanton killing of innocent students in Federal Polytechnic, Mubi is unacceptable and prayed the Senate to set machinery in motion to ensure that those behind the killings are brought to book.
Immediately Jibrilla took his seat, other senators bared their mind over the unfortunate incident. Many of them raised their hands to contribute to the motion.
It was an expression fury and anger over what they described as the abysmal failure of the Federal Government to protect lives in the country. They wondered the essence of power if it will not be used for the good of the greatest number of people.
The lawmakers were unanimous in insisting that the government should be made to wake up and be responsive to its responsibilities especially provision of security.
Some prayed the chamber to pass a vote of no confidence on the government for its inability to secure lives and property in the country.
Senator Mark said government must do what is needful – fish out the perpetrators of the act and punish them according to the law of the land.
For the Benue South lawmaker, when those responsible for the heinous crime in Mubi are apprehended, they should be used to test the law on capital punishment.
Mark said, “These students and people killed did not happen as a result of their own fault.
“Every state government today in this country has some responsibility towards providing security to those who live in that state.
“The Federal Government also has responsibility. We all have responsibility including the local governments.
“People are not killing in the United States because of unemployment. People are not killing in Norway where a man went berserk and killed so many holiday makers, people are not killing because of unemployment or desertification or flooding.
Mark stressed that the challege before the country in terms of security is serious and it must be tackled headlong. He described the manner of the Mubi killing as unacceptable.
“The security challenges before us in this country are grievous, and we have to tackle them headlong. On the specific issue of these Mubi killings, I think it is a pity that people will move from one room to the other calling names, dragging them out and killing them; slaughtering them. This is totally unacceptable. Even if it just attacking the symptoms now, those involved must be arrested and brought to book.
He canvassed capital punishment for those who did it if they are caught and convicted by a competent court of law as a deterence.
“I know that this is a democracy and with due respect to all of us, capital punishment is still in our statute. This is an opportunity for us to test it and use it as deterrence to others and that has to be done as fast and as speedy as possible”.
He lamented that whereas such crimes happen in other crimes band the perpetrators are quickly arrested, here the oppositie is the case.
“It is not that crimes don’t take place in other countries. They do. But it is the reaction of government. The speed with which those who are involved are arrested is instructive. I think we have gone beyond the time for us to sing these songs of lamentation every now and again. We should not be lamenting. I think we should be able to act.
“Government needs to act as quickly and as fast as possible. Terrorists will succeed once they can stop government from doing what government want to do.
“Now Nigerians are being scared of sending their children to polytechnics and universities because today it is in Mubi, who knows where it is going to happen in the next town”, he stated.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu ( Enugu South), in his contribution noted that it was a sad day for Nigeria as a country and that he sympathised with the whole country.
He said, “Let us imagine that we are the parents of those people killed. Some are the only child, some are the hopes of their families while others are investments. You can imagine the pains to these families.
“This is not an isolated case, it is everywhere in the South East. It is evil, uncalled for and totally condemnable. What happened in Mubi is a failure of security. Whether it is robbery or Boko Haram, it is the inability of security agents to secure the people”.
Next to speak was Senator Bello Mohammed Tukur (Adamawa Central). He said what happened in Mubi should be a matter of serious concern to every Nigerian. Bello said that nobody could say exactly what led to the mayhem.
The lawmaker said that he is aware that people are leaving Mubi in large number moving towards Yola, the state capital. He lamented that some people are saying that similar incident is happening in Gumbi, a town between Mubi and Yola.
“One cannot say exactly who they are but the security agents should be in a position to tell us.
About a month ago, there was increase in security agents in the area and they were engaged in house to house search. Mubi was closed down for three days, nobody was coming in or going out of the house.
“As a result 156 people were arrested and brought to barracks in Yola. All these brought about a lot of tension in Mubi town. Some of those arrested were not members of Boko Haram, some are not natives.
“This is beginning to be worrisome. Every day, urban settlement is being affected. If care is not taken, it may get to Yola and Jalingo and before we know it, the whole north may be consumed.”
Also contributing, Senator Dahiru Kuta ( Niger East) said that he is saddened by the atrocious happening in Mubi.
His concern, he said, is that higher institutions are now the target.
The Niger State lawmaker insisted that more should be done than what is currently going on because the country may be headed in the direction of anarchy.
“We should do more than what we are doing now because Nigeria is moving to anarchy and nobody has solution to what is happening. What started as armed robbery have now graduated to anarchy. In the whole of the North East, the economy is grinding to a halt.
“I have said that the advance of the desert, about 5km annually is putting so many people out of job. Unless something is done, more will happen because many have lost their jobs and will use Boko Haram as cover to cause mayhem.
He lamented that despite the huge amount spent on security annually, Nigeria is still faced with insecurity as its major challenge.
“This is no longer a religious matter. Up till now, the security agencies, in spite of all the money spent annually on security, , have no solution to this problem. It is important to look at the security agencies again, let them say why they are failing and if there is need to look for other solutions”.
Senator Mathew Nwagwu (Imo North) in his contribution asked how long Nigerian will continue to watch helplessly while innocent people are killed.
He said, “When all the churches are burnt down, it will be mosques and when students are finished, it may be the Senate. Mr President should take more proactive measures. It was unbecoming of Nigerians to take reappraisal attacks.
He called on the Senate to condemn the killing and asked that the President be made to do some clarifications on the security situation in the country.
“The Senate should condemn the killing and send a strong message to the President to clear the air on the issue. We are under siege and something should be done fast.”
Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) in her contribution noted that the nation is under siege.
She lamented that the country has never experienced the level of insecurity being witness now.
For the Lagos State lawmaker “even during the Abacha regime it was not like this. Everyone will notice that the rate of unemployment and poverty are high and for me, the present administration has not delivered the dividend of democracy to the people. For me, it is high time we declared a vote of no confidence on the President”.
Senator Olubunmi Adetunmi, (Ekiti North) in his contribution noted that the nation expects so much from its youths.
He said, “If we were cut down in our youth, most of us would not have been here. What happened in Mubi is the destruction of our future.
“My contribution is not so much to the perpetrators of the crime but to speak the truth to those in authority. Power is supposed to provide security of lives and property and this is where the government has failed.
“We are all parents and we have children in school locally and internationally. The question we should ask ourselves is where is safe in Nigeria .
“Police barracks that are fortified have been attacked, emirs, churches and mosques have been attacked. People have been attacked on the streets, now it is the turn of students who represent the future of the country.
The Senate later observed one minute silence in honour of victims of the mayhem.
