Disturbed by the state of insecurity caused by multiple crimes, banditry and spate of kidnappings across the country, the leadership of the National Assembly has resolved to urgently seeks to meet President Bola Tinubu in order to find lasting solutions to the problems.
The National Assembly, particularly the Senate, has also declared as very disturbing, unfortunate and sad of the killing of over 50 people in fresh attacks on some communities in Benue State by suspected terrorists and unabated security challenges across the country.
It also urged the Service Chiefs and heads of other security agencies to as a matter of urgency, deploy security personnel to address the continuing and ongoing attacks by armed terrorist parading as herdsmen on communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State with a view to flushing them out and restore normalcy to the affected communities, and invest in surveillance technology and equipment to detect and prevent future attacks.
The Senate called for the review of security architecture in the affected areas to forstal the continuous attacks.
It also urged the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA to immediately mobilize relief materials to the people displaced by these attacks in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State.
Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were sequel to a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance pursuant to Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) by Senator Emmanuel Udende, APC, Benue North East following the fresh attacks on the Benue communities.
Moves to have an urgent meeting with President Tinubu by the leadership of National Assembly on the unending security problems bedeviling the country came after exhaustive debate on fresh killings in Benue State .
According to the National Assembly, the planned meeting as resolved by the red chamber , is to find lasting solutions to the mindless carnages in the land .
The proposed meeting with the President, and other resolutions which are coming after earlier one by the Red Chamber, is to intimate him with the reports of security summits in the 8th and 9th Assemblies as well as the far -reaching resolutions of its recent engagements with the security chiefs.
Earlier in his presentation of the motion, Senator Udende lamented that no fewer than 50 persons have been killed in fresh attacks in the affected communities, adding that as at Tuesday, March 5 those attacked include Tyuluv, Borikyo, Kundav, Ugbaam, Uyam, Udedeku, Yaaiwa, Nyihemba, Tomatar , Menakwagh, Yiase and Agura, all in the Benue North East Senatorial district of the state.
He said : “The residents of the villages and communities now find themselves targeted on a daily basis by heavily armed terrorist herdsmen, and the toll continues to be staggering as they bear the brunt, with reports of marauders butchering several villagers, leaving many homes completely burnt down and numerous residents still missing while the perpetrators, however, remain elusive and have not been apprehended.”
“This pathetic situation and development has inflicted untold hardship on women, children and the elderly, who are trekking long distances in search of a safe haven and awaiting the intervention of security operatives.”
Senator Udende who further lamented that the situation, in addition to the loss of lives and property, has already impacted negatively on the economic lives of the people and led to the shortage of farm produce, resulting in the astronomical rise in the prices of foodstuffs and inflation in the country, however wondered that despite the public outcry and previous resolutions of the National Assembly as regards the criminal activities of these terrorists parading as herdsmen, there seems to be no visible action on the part of government to curtail, abate or totally stop their criminal activities.
Udende said, “the purpose of government is the security and safety of lives and properties in line with Section 14 (2) b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and there is need to act urgently
END.