The senate called on the military authorities to intensify actions to contain a fresh wave of Boko Haram attacks that had left dozens dead, entire communities destroyed, and thousands displaced across the North-east states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe.
The resolution followed a motion by Aminu Iya Abbas (Adamawa Central) and backed by more than a dozen senators during plenary on Wednesday.
Abbas recounted recent attacks that devastated his constituency.
He said, “In Kwampre and Zar, homes were burnt and schools destroyed on February 25. In Banga and Lar, five people were killed on April 15, and churches and homes were set ablaze.
“Then on April 26, 11 volunteer vigilantes from a neighbouring local government were murdered while defending a corporate community.
“Just last week, the attack on Kulda community in Hong LGA on May 16 was particularly devastating.
“Sixteen people were killed, and 90 per cent of homes and places of worship were reduced to ashes. These people now live as refugees in their own land.”
Senate Whip, Mohammed Monguno (Borno North), expressed concern that previously restored peace in parts of Borno State was rapidly deteriorating.
The senate also raised concerns over the redeployment of military resources from the North-east to North-west, where operations against banditry had been given priority.
In its resolutions, the senate asked the government to urgently strengthen military presence in the most affected areas—particularly in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State
It also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide immediate humanitarian relief to displaced residents.
In another development, the senate passed for second reading a bill to regulate and formalise employment in the informal sector through private agency involvement.
Sponsored by Musa Sani, the bill sought to regulate and formalise the employment of domestic workers, apprentices, interns and other informal sector employees in Nigeria.
It intended to empower the National Directorate of Employment to issue license and monitor privately owned employment agencies whose responsibility would be to enrol employees in their data bank.
Sani explained that the bill would safeguard and enhance their social security and oversee their recruitment by employers who engaged in legitimate occupation on such terms and conditions as might be agreed by the parties.
He stated that the informal sector was usually regarded as the residual labour market where labour was heterogeneous and sources of income were not largely wage dependent, working time was discretionary, and some jobs were not paid for at all.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, while contributing to the debate, said public and private sector agencies used third parties to recruit their low level staff.
