The Senate has called for the immediate deployment of reinforced security personnel to Benue South following renewed attacks by suspected bandits that claimed at least 20 lives in Akpachi-Ugboju and Otukpo-Nobi, as well as fresh killings in Ondo-Ugboju, Otukpo Local Government Area.
The upper chamber also directed the Inspector-General of Police to launch a comprehensive investigation into the attacks, identify and apprehend the perpetrators, and ensure they are prosecuted to deter future violence.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled, “The Urgent Need to Stop the Gruesome Murder of Inhabitants of Akpachi-Ugboju, Otukpo-Nobi, and the Fresh Attacks on Ondo-Ugboju in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State by Suspected Bandits,” sponsored by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South).
Presenting the motion, Moro recounted that suspected armed bandits carried out a series of coordinated and unprovoked attacks on the affected communities between Friday and Sunday of last week and Tuesday this week, leaving scores of residents dead.
According to him, the persistent and coordinated nature of the attacks suggests a deliberate attempt to wipe out the affected communities, warning that without urgent intervention, the situation could deteriorate into a complete breakdown of law and order and worsen food insecurity as farmers abandon their farmlands.
He said that, in addition to those killed, many victims sustained life-threatening injuries and are receiving treatment in various hospitals, while homes, farmlands, and other properties were destroyed, forcing many residents to flee their communities.
Following deliberations, the Senate condemned in the strongest terms the killings and destruction of property by suspected bandits in the Ugboju and Otukpo districts.
Lawmakers urged the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and other relevant security agencies to immediately deploy adequate security personnel to restore peace, protect lives, and prevent further attacks in the affected communities.
The Senate also mandated its Committees on Police Affairs, Defence, and National Security and Intelligence to engage with the leadership of the security agencies, assess their operational strategies in Benue South, and ensure compliance with the Senate’s resolutions.
The upper chamber thereafter observed a minute’s silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the attacks.
(Editor: Ada Ononye)
