The Federal Government has been asked by the House of Representatives to immediately halt plans of conducting a national census in view of the rising cases of insecurity.

The advice was given after the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) was asked to brief the House on the planned exercise.

Sponsor of the motion of urgent public importance, Rep Shehu Beji Barwa told his colleagues if the exercise is allowed to go ahead, a lot of Nigerians will be denied the opportunity of being counted having been displaced by insurgency and insecurity across the land.