Posted by In light of the recent attacks in Benue State that killed more than 50 people and the general increase in insecurity in the country, the Senate passed a resolution on Wednesday requesting that the heads of the two houses of the National Assembly meet with President Bola Tinubu as soon as possible to discuss the country’s security situation and work out a permanent solution.
In the midst of this, the Red Chamber emphasized the critical need for security personnel to respond to the persistent attacks in Kwande, Ukum, Logo, and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State carried out by armed terrorists posing as herdsmen.
Lawmakers urged the government to invest in monitoring gear and technology to identify and prevent similar attacks, as well as to bring impacted areas back to normalcy and apprehend the terrorists.
The purpose of the planned meeting with the president is to apprise him of the outcomes of the security summits held during the 8th and 9th assemblies, and to share the comprehensive decisions that were reached at the Senate’s recent meetings with the heads of security.
Senator Emmanuel Udende (APC, Benue North East) moved for the resolution in response to recent attacks on villages in Benue, citing “matters of urgent public importance” and Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended).
Senator Udende, who spearheaded the motion’s debate, expressed his deep sadness over the recent spate of attacks in the impacted communities, where at least 50 people have lost their lives. As of Tuesday, March 5, the following communities in the Benue North East Senatorial District have been targeted: Tyuluv, Borikyo, Kundav, Ugbaam, Uyam, Udedeku, Yaaiwa, Nyihemba, Tomatar, Menakwagh, Yiase, and Agura.
“The residents of the villages and communities are now being targeted daily by armed terrorist herdsmen. The toll is staggering, and the brunt of it is on the residents. There have been reports of marauders butchering villagers, homes being completely burned down, and many residents still missing. The perpetrators, however, are elusive and have not been caught,” he said.
As they wait for security forces to intervene, women, children, and the elderly endure unimaginable suffering as they travel great distances in quest of safety.
Senator Udende went on to say that the scenario has already had a detrimental effect on people’s economic lives, leading to a scarcity of agricultural produce, which in turn has caused food prices to skyrocket and inflation in the country.
Despite the public uproar and past resolutions of the National Assembly regarding the criminal acts of terrorists masquerading as herders, he couldn’t understand why the government didn’t seem to be doing anything to reduce or end these crimes.
“The purpose of government is the security and safety of lives and properties in line with Section 14 (2) b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and there is need to act urgently,” the legislator insisted firmly.
Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) expressed his view that the federal government should look into political or cultural remedies to address the security issue in his contribution.
Additionally, Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central) voiced his displeasure that, despite substantial funding for security, very little has been accomplished, placing all responsibility on the ineffective oversights of the appropriate Senate committees.
He claimed that he had grown weary of attending services commemorating the innocent souls lost in criminal attacks.
Senator Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara North), who spoke in a similar spirit, expressed his frustration with the repetitive nature of the problem and the lack of progress toward a solution while simultaneously criticizing the legislative oversights by the appropriate Senate committees.
Relying on local communities and having faith in them to solve problems is what Nigeria needs, he said.
The current Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence and former President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, urged the Red Chamber leadership to meet with Tinubu and stressed that the security agencies have always had access to large budgets, so they should use them effectively.
In further resolutions, the Senate urged a study of the impacted areas’ security architecture in an effort to halt the ongoing attacks.
It further demanded that NEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, get relief supplies to the victims of the assaults in the Benue State local government areas of Kwande, Ukum, Logo, and Katsina-Ala as soon as possible.