Senate Orders Security Chiefs to Flush Out Killers After Fresh Benue Attacks

The Senate on Wednesday directed the nation’s security chiefs to intensify efforts to apprehend those behind the recent killings in Benue State, following fresh attacks on communities in Benue South Senatorial District that left several people dead and many others displaced.

The resolution followed the adoption of an urgent motion sponsored by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (Benue South), on the escalating insecurity in Akpauchi-Ugboju, Otukpo-Nobi and Ondo-Ugboju communities in Otukpo Local Government Area.

Moving the motion, Moro described the attacks as gruesome and warned that residents of the affected communities might be compelled to defend themselves if government failed to halt the violence.

He said attacks carried out over the weekend claimed 18 lives, including two persons in Akpauchi-Ugboju and 16 others in Otukpo-Nobi.

The lawmaker added that another coordinated attack on Ondo-Ugboju on July 14 resulted in the death of two more residents, forcing many families to flee their homes and creating a humanitarian crisis in the area.

According to him, the persistent attacks indicate a deliberate campaign to overrun communities in the district, with many farmers abandoning their farmlands over fears for their safety.

“If urgent security intervention is not deployed immediately, the situation could deteriorate into a complete breakdown of law and order, while the continued displacement of farmers poses a serious threat to food production,” Moro warned.

Adopting the motion, the Senate condemned the killings in the strongest terms and directed the Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible.

The upper chamber also mandated its Committees on Police Affairs, Defence, and National Security and Intelligence to meet with security chiefs to assess ongoing operations in Benue South and recommend additional measures to improve security in the area.

The Senate further urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to urgently provide relief materials, including food, medical supplies and temporary shelter, to displaced residents and victims receiving treatment in hospitals.

Lawmakers stressed that ending the cycle of attacks in Benue State requires swift security action, justice for victims and humanitarian support for affected communities.