In response to fresh attacks on towns in Benue State, the Nigerian Senate has demanded the creation of a Police Area Command and a military camp in the state’s Apa and Agatu Local Government Areas.
The decision came after Senate Minority Leader and Benue South Senatorial District Senator Abba Moro made a motion on Wednesday regarding the “urgent need for decisive action to address killings in Ankpali-Edikwu in Apa Local Government Area.”
Moro stated that the attacks on rural villages in Apa/Agatu and other parts of Benue had grown frequent, resulting in fatalities, resident relocation, and property devastation, when introducing the motion under Senate Order 42.
He cautioned that the state’s agricultural operations were being undermined by the ongoing violence, characterizing the situation as a growing threat to food security in the area known as Nigeria’s “Food Basket.”
In order to restore order and safeguard lives and property, the Senate decided to urge the federal government to send more security personnel, including military and police units, to impacted regions right now.
Additionally, lawmakers urged the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Defence Staff, and other security authorities to step up coordinated efforts to capture the attackers.
The Senate also ordered its Committees on Defense, Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to look into the ongoing violence in Benue State and provide long-term fixes.
Additionally, it called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other pertinent organizations to give impacted areas immediate humanitarian assistance.
The upper house also demanded more extensive security changes, such as methods for resolving disputes between farmers and herders, land use concerns, and community-based peacebuilding initiatives.
The motion emphasized the necessity for increased security presence in sensitive locations and called on the Benue State Government to uphold its constitutional duty to safeguard people and property.
Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President who oversaw the meeting, praised Senator Moro for bringing attention to the issue and promised that the Senate would back initiatives meant to resolve it.
In remembrance of the victims of the recent attacks in Ankpali-Edikwu, a minute of silence was observed.
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