Senate Urges Emergency Response to Kwara North Bandit Attacks

ABUJA — The Nigerian Senate has formally called for an emergency federal response to the worsening bandit attacks in Kwara North Senatorial District. Punch Newspapers confirmed the Senate’s resolution on Wednesday. The motion was moved by Senator Salihu Mustapha following the latest series of attacks that included the burning of an Emir’s palace.

The Senate’s resolution directs the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Director-General of the DSS to brief the Senate within two weeks on the security situation in Kwara North and the measures being taken to protect communities in the affected area.

Senator Mustapha said the Kwara North situation cannot wait for bureaucratic processes. He said communities are being devastated daily. He said the federal government must treat Kwara North with the same urgency that the northeast received at the height of the Boko Haram crisis.

The Pattern of Violence

Kwara North has experienced a pattern of attacks that mirrors what happened in northwestern states before the security crisis there became an acknowledged emergency. Communities are raided, livestock stolen, people killed or kidnapped, and buildings burned. The attacks happen frequently enough that local residents live in constant fear but infrequently enough that each individual incident does not generate sustained national attention.

Security analysts said the Senate’s formal intervention is important because it creates an accountability mechanism. When security chiefs are required to brief the Senate, they must develop and articulate a response plan rather than simply issuing press releases about operations underway.

The Inspector-General of Police said the Kwara State Command is receiving reinforcements from the force reserve. Additional officers have been deployed to the most vulnerable communities in Kwara North. He said the deployment is being coordinated with the military and civil defence to ensure comprehensive coverage of the affected areas.