Senate warns Boko haram promoting anti-Plateau state rhetoric to cause war, condemns killings

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday condemned the abduction and killings of citizens from Plateau State by Boko Haram and warned that the anti-Plateau hate narrative by Boko Haram is aimed at dividing Nigerians along ethno-religious lines.
The upper house of parliament’s condemnation formed part of resolutions reached by the upper chamber sequel to a motion considered and brought to the floor on Wednesday by Senator Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau North).
Gyang who relied on order 42 and 52 of Senate Standing Rules, in his motion titled “Anti-Plateau Narrative and Killings Orchestrated by Boko Haram: A Ploy to Polarize Nigerian Citizens Along Ethno-Religious Divides”, said a total of 27 lives were lost on Tuesday in the renewed bloodbath carried out by insurgents in Kwattas, Ruboi and Marish communities in Plateau State.
“The consequential
effects of this defective anti-Plateau narrative has led to the abduction of
over 6 persons: 4 males and 2 females. Three boys including an undergraduate of
the University of Maiduguri, were brutally murdered by Boko Haram at close
range gunshots,” Senator Gyang said.
According to Gyang, “the anti-Plateau hate narrative are reminiscent of the
Nazi Germany episode where the Nazi supremacist regime promoted the
demonization of Jews and incited anti-Semitism as a justification for the subsequent
gas-chamber genocide against the Jews.”
“The xenophobic and hateful narrative being orchestrated by Boko Haram is
intended to set other Nigerian citizens against those of Plateau origin,” the
federal lawmaker warned.
He added that the killings by Boko Haram is an “attempt by the fanatical sect
to whip up religious and ethnic sentiments of unsuspecting Nigerians and
to shift attention from its evil acts that have not spared Muslims and other
Nigerian citizens of all classes and creeds from North to South, East to West.”
The Senate in its resolution urged the federal government to take additional
steps to secure Nigerian citizens and in particular, those of Plateau origin
who have become targets of abduction and persecution by Boko Haram.
The Chamber also urged the authorities of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria;
University of Jos; and Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi to absorb all
undergraduate and post graduate students of Plateau State origin currently
studying in the University of Maiduguri as their safety is gravely jeopardized.
Meanwhile, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, also on Wednesday referred
President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the confirmation of Dr. Isitua Obiora
as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the Senate Committee
on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions for further legislative
work.
Also considered was President Buhari’s request for the confirmation of
Professor Adeolu Akande as Chairman; and Uche Onwude as member of the Nigerian
Communications Commission, which was sent to the Senate Committee on
Communications.
The confirmation request for Musa Nuhu as Director-General of the Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was also referred to the Senate Committee on
Aviation.
The committees were given two weeks to submit their reports on the President’s
confirmation requests to the Chamber in plenary, a statement by the Senate
President’s office stated.