Lagos — Senate's recent decision, calling for the deployment of armed personnel to curb incessant border incursions into the country from Benin Republic is commendable but must be reinforced by other strategies aimed at securing the frontiers on a long term basis.

The upper legislative chamber had, while adopting a motion sponsored by Senator Umaru Tafida, from Argungu in Kebbi State and 18 others, called on the executive to deploy soldiers, Immigration and Customs officials, along the Nigeria-Benin republic border to forestall future raids on the villages along the frontiers.

The Senate also directed its committees on Defence, Security, National Intelligence and Foreign Affairs to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the incessant raids. It must be noted that border incursions have been a perennial problem and government must take urgent steps to address the situation in order to keep the invaders at bay.

Apart from the recent cases reported from Kebbi state, there had been similar incidents in the past in Borno State particularly from the Lake Chad area. Constant raids on the Bakassi peninsula almost led to war between Nigeria and Cameroon even before the oil-rich portion was eventually ceded to the Cameroonians.

The Tungar Kungi village in Kebbi state, which was recently attacked, is about eight kilometres from the border. Villagers from the neighbouring country masterminded the raid, according to the sponsors of the motion, in order to displace the rice farmers from their arable lands and the fishermen from their means of livelihood. In the process, they razed the villages, rendering over 1,500 Nigerians homeless.

Raids of this nature on the villages along the Chad and Niger Republic borders often leave the people with tales of woes. To further show how porous the borders are, armed bandits often cross over from these countries to operate on major highways, dispossessing law abiding Nigerians of their valuables and sometimes, lives.

One of the reasons why Nigerians living along these borders are vulnerable, we believe, is because they live in sparsely populated settlements that are located far apart. One of the strategies for overcoming this handicap is that government should deliberately embark on the development of new towns along the borders to secure our territory.

Beyond the deployment of soldiers, Customs and Immigration officials and the development of new towns, government should also establish Police posts and army barracks in these areas as a way of re-assuring the villagers that their protection is of paramount interest to the nation. This will encourage them to go about their lawful business activities without fear of attacks.

It is obvious that these unprovoked attacks are capable of straining the peaceful relationship between the two countries. To avert this situation, which could degenerate to war, the Federal Government should as a matter of priority, bring the matter up at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meetings with the goal of securing a commitment from the government of Benin Republic that the aggressors will not only be identified but will be penalised and made to pay for the damages caused those affected.

The Nigerian government will also need to show that it possesses the capacity and willingness to protect her people and territory in the event of any attack, as is the practice all over the world. Nigeria must not allow itself to be perceived as a country that can only bark and not bite. A display of the country's military capability including air power and sea superiority will send a strong signal to neighbouring countries that there will be repercussions for unprovoked attacks or incursions into Nigerian soil.

The significance of the motion of the Senators must not be underestimated. At least, for once, it shows that what happened to the Nigerians in that remote village of Kebbi State caught the attention of the lawmakers and hopefully would elicit government's decisive action. While hailing the effort of the sponsors of the motion, however, we call for more of such legislative interventions that would touch the lives of the people positively.