The Nigerian Senate has asked the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari to start treating bandits the way it treats Boko Haram terrorists.
The legislators urged the government to declare the criminals as terrorists just like the dreaded insurgent group and stop treating them with kid gloves.
They also asked the Government to wage a full scale war against the bandits including bombing all their locations.
The upper chamber added that all known leadership of bandits should be declared wanted and the military sent after them to arrest them.
They observed a minute silence for all fallen heroes and civilians who lost their lives to the activities of bandits and kidnappers.
The latest resolution followed a motion by Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir representing APC, Sokoto East and 8 other lawmakers.
Gobir lamented that his district has now become a safe haven for bandits due to the current onslaught against them in Zamfara State.
He reminded his colleagues about the killing of 21 personnel last Saturday in Dama and Gangara as well as some civilians from the neighbouring villages by the rampaging bandits.
The Senator added that the gruesome murder of the officers portrayed the gravity of the problem which he said requires concerted and urgent action by the declaration of a full scale war on them.
He cautioned that the current operations against the bandits in Zamfara State should have included the military keeping a careful watch on adjoining states to avoid them infiltrating the hitherto peaceful states.
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