Boko Haram Now A Serious Business, Says Senate President

President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, having taken a cursory look at the modus operandi and actions of the Boko Haram, said on Thursday that the group has stopped being a religious sect and has now become merchandized as a big industry.

Speaking in Abuja, Lawan said that Boko Haram now consists of people from different religions and from different countries.

The President of the Senate spoke after the presentation of a motion on the resurgence of killings in Borno North by Boko Haram insurgents.

The motion was sponsored by Senator Abubakar Kyari, All Progressives Congress, APC, Borno north and Co-sponsored by Senators Kashim Shettima, APC – Borno Central and Ali Ndume, APC Borno South.

Meanwhile, the Senate has resolved that Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, will meet with President Buhari to discuss security challenges arising from the activities of Boko Haram insurgents and bandits in parts of the country.

Lawan in his remarks said, “Boko Haram has metamorphosed from a group of religious zealots into an industry. It is an industry because what they do is not religious. They have people from different faiths and countries who are part of Boko Haram.

Lawan who lamented how the activities of Boko Haram had persisted despite so many resolutions and efforts by the Senate to stop them, said, “This senate passed so many resolutions including the reports of the various ad-hoc committees we set up, senator Kabiru Gaya once headed a committee on insecurity and he toured many parts of the northwest then I also chaired another committee with public hearing and everything with all the service chiefs were invited but it has persisted.

“I don’t want to say meeting the President is something that we have to reveal if we do, but of course it is natural that issues like this will be of interest for us to discuss with the President, and we have been doing that.

“What is necessary is for us to persist. Our Armed Forces have their challenges, and therefore, we will continue to look at those challenges and try to address them.

“However, where anybody is found wanting, our stand should be that people should occupy offices based on their performance.

“There’s no point if somebody is not registering successes for such person to continue to be there, but that is if you give that person the necessary tools to fight. So, we should give them the necessary tools and then we hold them accountable.