Senate commiserates with British Parliament over terror attack

The Senate has commiserated with the British Parliament over Wednesday’s terror attack outside the parliament in Westminster which killed three people.

The Senate took the step following a point of order by the Leader of the Senate, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, during Thursday's plenary.

“The Senate notes with utter sadness the attack by terrorists on the House of Parliament in Westminster,’’ Lawan said.

`He said the Senate believed ‘’that the attackers carefully touched the legislature which is the mark of liberty and democracy”.

Lawan said the issue of terrorism was no longer a local issue of any country but that any terrorist attack on any country was an action on all those who cherished freedom from oppression and the right to be free.

According to him, the Senate will not relent and must indeed continue to fight terrorism in whatever shape or form it takes, irrespective of where it is targeted.

“The Senate recognises the long standing and historic relationship between the Nigerian Parliament and Westminster.

“The Senate reiterates our earlier role as a parliament for broader cooperation against terrorism on a global scale and the need to build synergy and partnership in this regard,” it said.

Contributing, Sen. Mohammed Hassan (PDP-Yobe), who seconded the motion, said: “This building (the Senate) is vulnerable to such attack.

“The leadership of the Senate should take a very drastic measure to ensure that things like this are averted.”

Sen. George Sekibo (PDP-Rivers) said “it was frightening when we heard of terrorist attack on the legislature.”

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“They want to discourage the legislature from saying the truth or functioning in their full capacity for the purpose in which the legislature is set up. We should not be afraid we should do our work as it is expected.”

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, described the attack as sad and horrifying.

“The message is that any attack on any parliament anywhere in the world is an attack on all parliaments.

‘’This Senate conveys our solidarity and support for our colleagues in the UK parliament and to the people in the United Kingdom in general.

“We continue to stand together in the fight against terrorism,” he said.