The minority caucus in the House of Representatives has called on security agencies to change their tactics of engagement, and act swiftly and decisively to curtail insecurity in the country.

Leader of the caucus, Kingsley Chinda, said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday while expressing concern over insecurity in the country.

Mr Chinda said that the frequent abductions of travellers on the nation’s highways had become worrisome.

He decried recent kidnappings of commuters in the country, adding that the kidnapped citizens should be rescued unharmed and the perpetrators brought to justice.

He added that the 29 medical students whisked away by gunmen in Benue State while travelling for a conference threatened the future of education and healthcare in the country.

“These young men and women, dedicated to pursuing knowledge and bettering the lives of their fellow Nigerians, must not be left to suffer in the hands of criminals,” he said.

He condemned the kidnapping of the Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa district in Sokoto State, Isa Bawa, and his son, describing it as an affront to traditional institutions.

The lawmaker also said that the killing of the Gara of Chanchanji, Tanimu Kunbiya and his son Yusuf in Taraba State didn’t portray the country well.

According to Mr Chinda, the nation’s interstate highway systems, which serve as the backbone of its transportation system, have become death traps and staging posts of kidnappers.

“Extortionists and criminal elements of the dark underworld have taken over the nation’s highways. The minority caucus of the House of Representatives is gravely worried about the prevailing conditions of our interstate highways and the general state of insecurity in our country,” he said.

He expressed concern and condemned the recent kidnappings that had further highlighted the alarming state of insecurity in the country.

(NAN)