The Niger State House of Assembly says it has intensified efforts to combat thuggery and other illicit activities affecting the state.
This development follows the presentation of a bill to amend the “Law to Prohibit Thuggery, Use of Intoxicants, and Matters Connected Thereto, 2018,” by the Chief Whip and member representing Chanchaga Constituency, Abubakar Muhammed during a plenary session.
Muhammed emphasized the need to update the 2018 law, describing it as outdated and ineffective in addressing the growing menace of thuggery and intoxication, predominantly among youths.
He highlighted loopholes in the existing law that enable offenders to secure easy bail and freedom, undermining efforts to curb these activities.
The proposed amendment seeks to criminalize thuggery, elevate cases from magistrate courts to state high courts and impose stricter penalties. Additionally, individuals harbouring or supporting thugs would face similar charges, while witnesses testifying against offenders would be granted protection.
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The Chief Whip expressed optimism that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago would assent to the bill, giving his firm directives to security agencies to tackle thuggery decisively.
In a related development, the member representing Paikoro Constituency Nasir Umar presented a motion titled “The Need for Regulation and Proliferation of Unlicensed Orphanages and Motherless Babies Homes Across Niger State: A Looming Threat to Child Security and Public Safety.”
Umar underscored the urgency of addressing the activities of unlicensed orphanages, which pose significant risks to child welfare and public safety citing alarming incidents, including the disappearance of individuals and children, such as four passengers on a tricycle from Paiko to Minna and a two-year-old child found tied and abandoned in a bush.
The Speaker, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, added that four children were abducted from an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Shiroro Local Government Area by a woman whose identity remains unknown.
The assembly, therefore, called on the Ministry of Women Affairs to review and re-register orphanages and motherless babies’ homes to ensure compliance with regulations.
They also urged the Ministry of Information to launch sensitization programs to educate parents against patronizing unlicensed facilities, which often prioritize financial gains over social welfare.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
