Senate gives IGP 14-day ultimatum to arrest perpetrators of Benue attacks

The senate has given Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), 14 days ultimatum to arrest and investigate the perpetrators of Benue killings.

This position was sequel to the consideration of a report of the senate ad hoc committee on the review of the current security infrastructure in Nigeria.

The committee had on Friday last week, visited Benue to ascertain the level of killings in the state.

The report was presented by Ahmed Lawan, chairman of the committee, during plenary on Tuesday.

He said the recommendations of the committee included re-examining, revamping and reinventing the nation’s security architecture and infrastructure in order to ensure that no community or entity was left unsecured and unsafe.

Lawan who is also the senate leader, said other recommendations are for the senate to convene as a matter of utmost urgency a national security summit.

He said the committee recommended that government should examine the recurring violence and mayhem visited rural communities before they become an existential threat to national cohesion and national survival.

“The federal government should examine the deployment of security personnel in our rural communities and borders to ensure that no one gets in or out of the country without proper documentation and regular surveillance,” he said.

“The federal government should ensure full compliance with the letter and spirit of the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons, cattle and goods with a view to ensuring that it is administered strictly to preserve the interests, safety and security of Nigeria and its people.

“The federal government should immediately re-examine the current deployment of security forces, particularly the Police, DSS and Civil Defence Corp, etc. in order to strengthen their presence in the rural areas.”

He said government should beef up and re-strategise its deployment of security intelligence capabilities with a view to obtaining actionable intelligence about impending attacks and plots in order to forestall and prevent the recurrence of rural violence and inter-ethnic conflagrations.

“The Federal and Benue state government should ensure that all those living in IDP camps are properly catered for and the burnt infrastructure in their communities are properly rebuilt to enable the people return and resume their normal lives,” he said.

“The government through the Ministry of Agriculture should as a matter of urgency convene a special National Council on Agriculture meeting to deliberate on the development and modernization of Nigeria’s livestock and dairy industry.”

“This is not the time for diplomacy and courtesy. This is the time to provide leadership for a nation that is in nati

Senate President Bukola Saraki noted that the debate on the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Benue and other states had shown that it was not religious-based.

“It was a breakdown of law and order in that part of the country,” he said.

“I commend my distinguished colleagues for their sincerity and patriotism during this debate. This killing is also a wakeup call for all of us to put all hands on deck to address this crisis.

“We want to see immediate action. One point raised here today is the issue of justice. Without justice we cannot see unity and that justice stands as one of our recommendations.

“In the next 14 days, the inspector-general of police must find the perpetrators, arrest them, and the attorney general of Benue state must prosecute them. That is the minimum requirement and it must happen.

“Our resolution is that some of our discussions here need to be conveyed to Mr. President. We appreciate his actions for calling us and giving us a brief on what has happened. Hence, we owe it to him to tell him what we have discussed and the seriousness with which we have taken the issue.

“It is a wakeup call for him and it is a wakeup call for us. It is a wake–up call for this government. We must address the issue of security. We cannot continue to allow this violence to keep going on from one state to another. Therefore, something needs to be done.”