The Nigerian Senate has asked for a Police Area Command and a military base to be set up in the Apa and Agatu Local Government Areas of Benue State. This is because there have been more attacks on communities in the state.
The resolution came after Abba Moro, the Senator from Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader, made a motion on Wednesday about what he called the “urgent need for decisive action to address killings in Ankpali-Edikwu in Apa Local Government Area.”
Moro said while presenting the motion under Senate Order 42 that attacks on rural communities in Apa/Agatu and other parts of Benue had become common, resulting in deaths, people being forced to leave their homes, and property damage.
He said that the ongoing violence was hurting farming in the state and that it was becoming a bigger threat to food security in the area known as Nigeria’s “Food Basket.”
After talking about it, the Senate decided to ask the Federal Government to send more security personnel, such as military and police units, to the communities that were affected right away to restore order and protect lives and property.
Lawmakers also told the Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, and other security heads to step up their coordinated efforts to catch the people who carried out the attacks.
The Senate also told its Committees on Defence, Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to look into the violence that keeps happening in Benue State and suggest ways to stop it for good.
It also told the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant organizations to quickly help the communities that were affected.
The upper chamber also asked for bigger security changes, such as ways to deal with conflicts between farmers and herders, land use problems, and community-based peacebuilding methods.
The motion also asked the Benue State Government to do a better job of protecting lives and property, which is its constitutional duty. It also stressed the need for more security in areas that are at risk.
Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, led the meeting and praised Senator Moro for bringing attention to the issue. He also promised that the Senate would support efforts to solve the problem.
People stood in silence for a minute to remember the victims of the recent attacks in Ankpali-Edikwu.
