Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday reminded Nigerians that no country in the world — including the United States — is free of crime, as lawmakers debated recent security incidents across the country.
Akpabio made the comment while presiding over plenary during a tense discussion on the killing of Brigadier-General Uba Musa in Borno State and the abduction of 25 schoolgirls alongside the killing of a vice principal in Kebbi State. All incidents occurred within 24 hours.
As senators attempted to align their positions on the deteriorating security situation, Akpabio urged them to avoid despair, emphasising the country’s size and the pressure on its security agencies.
“We deeply sympathise with the families affected, but we must remember that Nigeria is a very large country,” he said.
“It is not even possible to deploy one policeman to each polling unit during elections. Our security agencies are overstretched and often find themselves covering areas they ordinarily shouldn’t be.”
Akpabio stressed that crime is a universal problem and that even powerful nations struggle with security challenges.
“There is no society without crime. Even the almighty America records crime daily. But we must continue to do our best to reduce it,” he added.