-
Seeks compensation for victims, deployment of troops
-
Condemns killing of over 200 civilians in Benue attack
-
Akpabio: Political sponsors will be brought to justice
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the recent massacre in Yelewata and ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice.
It also urged the federal and Benue State governments to immediately reconstruct destroyed properties, compensate affected families, and deploy more military personnel to secure Yelewata, other troubled areas in Benue, and across the country.
The senators also strongly condemned the massacre and observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Titus Zam during plenary yesterday.
The motion, titled “Urgent need for the Federal Government to deploy more troops to Yelewata and other affected communities in Benue State to restore law and order”, was unanimously adopted after a voice vote.
Presenting the motion, Zam raised the alarm over the coordinated attack on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, which left over 200 civilians, including women and children, dead.
He described the killings as “systematic and genocidal,” citing reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on the scale and precision of the attack. Zam also recalled earlier deadly incidents in Gwer West Local Government Area, where over 50 lives were lost.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his prompt visit to Benue and directive for relief efforts, Zam stressed that the Yelewata massacre was unprecedented in its execution. He lamented the repeated failures of security agencies to prevent such atrocities.
Contributing to the motion, Abdul Ningi described the incident as “pure terrorism and pure genocidal activity” and called for a Senate fact-finding mission to the area. “Every time we have these killings, they are swept under the carpet. Mr President, we cannot continue like this,” he said.
He criticised the Senate’s lack of effective oversight on security, saying, “It is unacceptable that the Senate Police Committee is not adequately informed of the state of security in this country. We cannot sit here and allow the President to do his job and also do ours.”
Ningi urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to constitute a team to investigate the massacre and volunteered to be a member.
In his remarks, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin expressed condolences and assured that President Tinubu had directed security agencies to act. “The President has taken concrete actions, including directing the arrest of those behind this evil,” he said.
Other lawmakers also contributed to the debate, including Asuquo Ekpeyong, who called for a Senate ad hoc committee to investigate the root causes of the violence.
“We need to get to the root of this problem that keeps recurring in Benue. Is it a struggle for land or the resources beneath the land?” he asked.
In his debate, Jimoh Ibrahim blamed failures in local governance and advocated for technology-driven policing, while Sadiq Umar warned that the problem was not limited to Benue.
“Just this morning in my constituency, in Pategi, they’ve killed people already,” Umar said, referring to fresh attacks in Kwara State. He urged collaboration between federal, state, and local governments to address the worsening insecurity.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in his closing remarks, condemned the killings and declared, “These are acts of terrorism and banditry that must not go unpunished. Justice must be served—not just on earth, but ultimately before God.”
In a related development, the Senate also directed its Committees on National Security, Police Affairs, and Defence to investigate the killing of 12 unarmed travellers in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
This followed a separate motion of urgent national importance moved by Ibrahim Khalid, who recounted the Saturday, June 21, 2025, incident in which 12 travellers from Zaria, en route to a wedding in Kwampan LGA, were killed in Mangun District after stopping to ask for directions.
Khalid expressed concern over rising lawlessness and intolerance, noting that the attack is part of a disturbing pattern of violence against civilians.
“The continuous killing of innocent Nigerians without accountability signals a breakdown of law and order. Failure to prosecute offenders emboldens non-state actors, fuels impunity, threatens national unity, disrupts socio-economic life, and creates widespread fear,” he said.
While commiserating with the victims’ families and the government of Kaduna State, Khalid urged both the Federal and Plateau State Governments to compensate the bereaved and deploy more security personnel, including specialised units. He emphasised the need for better intelligence gathering, early warning systems, and rapid response mechanisms.
The Senate thereafter observed a minute of silence for the 12 victims and other Nigerians killed in recent attacks.
Commenting further, Senate President Akpabio said, “With directives from Mr President, we are hopeful that those responsible will be brought to justice. We must continue supporting all efforts to restore peace and security. We also pray that this resurgence in insecurity is not politically motivated. If anyone is financing this violence, may they meet justice swiftly.”