The National Assembly on Wednesday urged the Federal government to declare a state of emergency on kidnapping in the country.

According to the House, the Federal Government “should urgently convene a security summit that will include all security agencies, all GSM service providers, the House committees on National Intelligence, Army, Air Force, Navy, Police and Communication to fashion an effective response to the kidnapping phenomenon.”

The lawmakers also asked the government to make provisions for the purchase of equipment in the 2017 budget, which would help security forces in tracking kidnappers and their victims.

The motion was sponsored by Hon. Babatunde Gabriel Kolawole (APC Ondo State) under Matters of Urgent National Importance and was passed unanimously by members of the house.

While moving the motion, Kolawole noted that in the last ten years, the rate of kidnapping in the country has escalated, making the country unsafe for its citizens and outsiders.

“As at 2014, Nigeria was number 5 on the global kidnapping hot spots,” he said.

Kolawole gave the list of prominent people kidnapped in the past to include amongst others include: “Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s foster father, 72-year-old Inengite Nitabai, Kaduna State House of Assembly member, Ibrahim Ismail, Margaret Emefiele, wife of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, former Minister of Environment Laurencia Mallam and her husband Pius Mallam, House of Representatives member from Katsina, Hon Sani Bello Mashi.

According to him, some of the victims are executed if there is a delay in the payment of ransom or security agents steps in, while some are killed after the ransom has been paid, making kidnapping the new face of terrorism.

Kolawole also said the recent kidnapping of school officials and students have showed the country was how unsafe.

In order to ensure compliance, the House mandated its Committee on Legislative Compliance to report back to the House within three weeks. (TV360 Nigeria)

•Photo shows the House of Representatives in session.

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