Senate condoles with family of slain Red Cross worker

chika ebuzor

October 16, 2018 5:27 PM

The lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to immediately ensure the release of the last ICRC volunteer still in Boko Haram captivity.

Senate of The Federal Republic

The Senate on Tuesday condoled with the family of Hauwa Liman, a worker with the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), who was killed by Boko Haram insurgents on Monday.

This followed a Point of Order by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, at plenary.

The lawmakers while observing “a two-minute” silencefor the deceased,also urged the Federal Government to immediately ensure the release of the last ICRC volunteer still in Boko Haram captivity.

The Upper Chamber also urged the Federal Government to ensure the immediate release of Leah Sharibu, the lone Dapchi School girl still in Boko Haram captivity.

It mandated the Committee on Security and National Intelligence to meet with security chiefs to find lasting solution to insecurity in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the death of the 24-year-old medical aid worker in the hands of the sect was confirmed by the Federal Government and ICRC on Monday.

Liman was kidnapped alongside others in March in Rann, Borno, when the insurgents attacked an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.

One of the kidnapped aid workers, Saifura Khosa, had earlier been executed by the terrorists.

After the murder of Khosa, Boko Haram released a video threatening to kill Liman, and Leah Sharibu earlier in the year.

While presenting the Point of Order, Ekweremadu urged the senate to look into the gruesome killing of Liman by the terrorists group.

Contributing, Sen. Dino Melaye (PDP-Kogi), expressed the need to beef up security in major flashpoints in the country to tackle security concerns beyond insurgency.

He cited the killing of a corps member, Nkechi Igwetu, in July and the recent killing of another woman, Anita Akapson.

The lawmaker urged the senate to summon the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to explain the activities of his officers.

“The senate should invite the Inspector-General of Police and ask why insecurity persists,” he said.

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In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, put the prayers to voice vote and they were unanimously adopted.

However, the call for inspector-general of police, Ibrahim Idris’ invitation to give explanations to the security situation did not scale through.

The omission may not be unconnected to series of face-off between the senate and the inspector-general of police.

The police boss was summoned by the senate three times but failed to appear before it.

chika ebuzor