The Senate on Wednesday condemned the gruesome killings and destruction of property in communities across the Benue South Senatorial District, calling on security agencies to track down the perpetrators and ensure they face the full weight of the law.
The upper chamber specifically directed the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and heads of other relevant security agencies to deploy all available resources to apprehend those responsible for the attacks and bring them to justice.
The resolutions followed the adoption of an urgent motion sponsored by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), on the escalating attacks in parts of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Moving the motion titled, “Urgent Need to Stop the Gruesome Murder of Inhabitants of Akpauchi-Ugboju, Otukpo-Nobi and Fresh Attacks on Ondo-Ugboju in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State by Suspected Bandits,” Moro warned that residents of the affected communities might resort to self-defence if the persistent killings and destruction of their communities continued unchecked.
He recounted that coordinated attacks over the weekend claimed the lives of innocent and defenceless residents, with two persons killed in Akpauchi-Ugboju and 16 others in Otukpo-Nobi, bringing the total death toll from the two incidents to 18.
The senator further disclosed that another coordinated attack was launched on Ondo-Ugboju on 14 July 2026, throwing the entire local government area into panic, forcing residents to flee their homes and worsening the humanitarian situation. He said two additional people were confirmed dead in the latest attack.
According to Moro, “The relentless and audacious nature of these attacks suggest a deliberate attempt to decimate these communities, and if urgent security interventions are not immediately deployed, the situation will degenerate into a complete breakdown of law and order, alongside a looming food crisis as farmers are forced to abandon their farmlands out of fear for their lives.”
Following deliberations, the Senate unanimously adopted the prayers contained in the motion and condemned, in the strongest terms, the killings and destruction of communities by the yet-to-be-identified terrorists.
The Senate mandated the Inspector-General of Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the attacks, identify and apprehend the perpetrators, and ensure they are prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
It also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to immediately provide relief materials, including food, medical supplies and temporary shelter, to displaced persons and victims receiving treatment in hospitals.
In addition, the Senate directed its Committees on Police Affairs, Defence, and National Security and Intelligence to engage with the heads of security agencies to assess ongoing security operations in Benue South and ensure full implementation of the Senate’s resolutions.
