The Senate on Tuesday directed relevant security agencies to immediately fish out and arrest those that perpetrated violence during the November 16 elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.
The Senate gave the directive following a motion of urgent importance, moved by Senator George Sekibo on public electoral violence.
The elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states were reportedly marred by violence and ballot box snatching, just as scores of persons were killed.
Consequently, the Senate has resolved that the spate of killings in the country should be condemned even as it observed a minute silence in honour of those that lost their lives.
Also, the Senate urged the National Orientation Agency and Independent National Electoral Commission to carry out anti-electoral violence advocacy campaigns in subsequent elections and urge security agencies to apprehend perpetrators of this violence .
During plenary on Tuesday, Senate minority leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, condemned the violence, saying that “well-known people created the violence and nothing has been done. What we should add is that law enforcement agencies must be up to the task”.
According to Abaribe, legal measures should be employed to end electoral violence in the country.
“The husband of the woman that was killed in Kogi has identified those that committed the crime and they should be arrested. We will urge all legal instruments that can be used to be deployed to curb electoral violence,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi) while faulting the violence noted that the responsibility of government is to prevent and curb electoral violence, irrespective of the political divide.
He said it was high time security agencies employed adequate security measures and punished the perpetrators of electoral violence.
In his remarks, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan said, “This is a very important motion, no party is absolved from this and we should continue to enlighten our followers to see politics as a game of ideas. People should pay price for their actions.”
