National President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, has said the recent statement by the Nigerian senate, saying the survival of the country is in danger due to rise in crimes and proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition in the country, clearly shows that leaders in the country are taking the people for granted.
Shettima said Nigerians have been suffering for many years, but the Senate is just realizing that the country is in danger.
“It is an insult and abuse on the sensibility of Nigerians for the Senate to sit down and just say that Nigeria is under siege when we have been suffering all these while in the hands of bandits,” the AYCF president said in reaction to moves by the Senate to curtail arms proliferation.
Shettima described the security situation in the country as frightening, even as he charged the senators to realise that the issue is degenerating by the day.
“And I am afraid if anybody will escape it at the end of the day. All of us will be victims if they don’t take measures immediately. They have to wake up to the realities of the day that we are in big trouble,” he added.
The Senate had yesterday, raised the alarm that the existence of the country is under threat as millions of illegal weapons are reportedly in circulation in the country.
In a submissions during a public hearing, organised by the Senate Joint Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Navy and Marine Transport on Firearms Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2021 and Exclusive Economic Zones Act 2010 (Repeal and Re-Enactment ) Bill 2021, Sen. Uba Sani said the country needs to urgently address the worrisome situation.
Sani, who is sponsor of the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, lamented that proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition with little or no control by relevant authorities has profound implications for collective survival of Nigerians and Nigeria.
“We are gathered here to deal with a matter that has profound implications for our collective survival. We are under siege from murderous non-state actors. They have been acquiring arms illegally, maiming our people and threatening the continued existence of our dear nation.
“We either take measures to deny them of the oxygen that sustains their nefarious activities or we watch helplessly as they overrun us and our country.”