Nigeria’s Senate has said that rather than the security agents being condemned on the ‘Apo killing’, they should be further encouraged to sustain onslaught against Islamic insurgents.
The Upper Chamber on Wednesday considered and adopted the report of its Joint committee that investigated the September killing of about seven people considered as menial workers occupying an uncompleted building in Apo district of the Federal Capital Territory.
The security agents had raided a semi-detached twin duplex at the back of Apo legislative quarters, claiming to be acting on a tip-off that cache of ammunitions were buried underground in the building allegedly by members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram occupying the building.
However, while carrying out the search, the security operatives claimed some of the occupants, allegedly members of the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram opened fire at them and in the process of retaliation, seven of the occupants were killed while about 13 sustained various degrees of injury and rushed to Asokoro General Hospital.
Responding to the outrage that greeted what was seen as extra-judicial killing of menial workers, the Senate at its sitting on September 24th directed its committees on National Security and Intelligence and Judiciary, Human Rights to investigation the circumstances that led to the incidence at Apo, Abuja.
While adopting the report of the committee headed by Mohammed Magoro, the Senate also called on the Federal government to sustain on-going military onslaught against the insurgents across the country.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over plenary said the adoption of the report was necessary “to encourage the Federal government to continue to do all that is possible to defeat the Boko Haram terrorists”.
He however, urged “the security agencies to supervise more closely security operations at the tactical levels”, adding that “governments at all levels should tackle the problem of youth unemployment by creating programmes which will focus on enhancing self employment”.
The Apo incident, the committee noted “though tragic and regrettable is an isolated case in view of the fact that since January 2013 to date, security agencies had carried out about 153 operations and many arrests made without expending a single bullet”.
Magoro, also said the Apo incidence “was an urgent and necessary operation carried out to pre-empt the planned attack on some locations on 22nd September by the insurgents”.
