The Senate has called on the federal government to intensify efforts to ensure the safe rescue and release of all abducted women and children from the Woro community in Kwara.

The call was sequel to renewed concerns over killings and general insecurity in the Kaima Local Government Area of the state.

The upper chamber also called on the federal government to redesign and comprehensively clear the forest reserve of criminal elements and consider the strategic establishment of security formations where necessary.

It equally urged the federal and state governments to provide comprehensive support, resources, and well-structured programmes for displaced farmers and residents of the Woro community in neighbouring areas.

This, according to the Senate, is to restore their livelihoods, rebuild economic resilience, and enable them to regain sustainable economic stability.

The Senate’s resolutions followed a point of order raised by Sadiq Umar (APC-Kwara) on the “Killings of over 100 innocent persons in Woro Communities of Kaima Local Government Area” during plenary on Tuesday.

Moving the motion, Mr Umar said the Senate was concerned that communities in remote and forest-bordering areas would be more vulnerable and require enhanced protection and early warning mechanisms to prevent loss of lives and humanitarian crises.

He, however, acknowledged the prompt humanitarian interventions of President Bola Tinubu, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Kwara State Emergency Management Agency, and the Red Cross.

Mr Umar also appreciated the subsequent deployment of personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigerian Police Force to the affected communities.

In his contribution, Senate minority leader Abba Moro said the matter of the attack and killing of innocent persons in the Woro community was a sad one.

“The issue of insecurity, the issue of banditry, kidnapping, abductions, and killings of innocent persons have become a recurring decimal.

“The president of this country has been talking very tough on insecurity, and I want to believe that as the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Nigeria, the president means well for Nigerians.

“It is alarming that in spite of the efforts and pronouncements from the federal government, killings have continued across the country and especially in Kwara in recent times.

“I still want to think that there is much more that we can do. I urge that the ad hoc committee of the Senate on security, which is proposing a security summit to reawaken its activities and aggressively pursue the holding of that national summit,” Mr Moro said.

Similarly, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi) said the country had the capacity to deal with the bandits and kidnappers, while Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe) urged the Senate to work with the executive to recruit more soldiers and security forces.

After a voice vote by the deputy Senate president, Jibrin Barau, who presided over plenary, all the prayers of the motion were adopted.

(NAN)