The House of Representatives says inadequate military presence emboldens bandits who are wreaking havoc in Taraba and other northern states.

Terrorists stormed Tati village in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba Tuesday night. A detachment of soldiers drafted to restore peace were ambushed and killed by the criminals.

On Wednesday, representatives of the area, Danjuma Shiddi and Kwekum Shawulu, moved a joint motion at the House of Representatives to direct Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to fish out bandits and secure the Takum Local Government Area of Taraba.

“These bandits are increasing their reach and destabilising more parts of the country; these bandits operate in very large numbers and in this instant case, less than 20 military men are confronted by over 300 well-armed bandits,’’ Mr Shiddi said while moving the motion.

Mr Shiddi added that the persistent and consistent killings of security personnel and civilians might dampen soldiers’ morale and encourage the bandits to cause more havoc.

The House unanimously resolved in favour of the motion, urging the security chiefs to deploy more security men to secure Takum and its environs effectively.

Also, the lawmakers urged the intelligence agencies to take steps to fish out the sponsors, to make them face the law.

The house urged all branches of government to ensure that the shortage of men in the armed forces was urgently addressed.

The lawmakers called on NEMA to urgently assist members of the affected communities in Takum to cushion the effect of the attack.

In his ruling, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase mandated all the relevant committees to ensure compliance.

(NAN)