The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, yesterday toed the lines of the lower chamber as they summoned President Muhammadu Buhari over the continued killings across the nation.
The Senate is to hold a joint session with the House of Representatives to take the briefing on security situations in the country by President Buhari and the Service Chiefs.
These were some of the resolutions by the Senate at plenary sequel to a motion on ”Continued killings in Benue State”, sponsored by Senator George Akume, representing Benue North-West)
The senate also resolved to as a matter of urgency consider the report of its adhoc committee on security on its recently held security summit as it urged the committee to expedite action on its recommendations and the report generally.
With the resolution to have Mr. President address the joint session , the Senate shelved an earlier recommendation for a state of emergency on security in Benue State considering the spate of gruesome killings in the State.
Presenting the motion, Senator George Akume noted with dismay, the continued killings, maiming and wanton destruction of lives and property in Benue State, particularly Benue North-West senatorial district which comprises seven local government areas as well as Logo and Kwande local government areas in Benue North-East; Agatu and Okpokwu local government areas in Benue South, respectively.
Senator Akume informed the Senate that the latest of such killings were the ones carried out on some Christian faithful, including Rev. Fr. Joseph Gor and Rev. Fr. Felix Tyolaha, a Catechist, John Ibor and 17 others who were last Tuesday, April 24, at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Ayar town in Gwer East local government area during their routine morning mass.
He noted that the killings have continued unabated since January 2018 , adding that these have made the government, through the Nigerian Army, embarked on a military exercise code-named Ayem A’Kpatuma, or cat race.
He expressed worry that the latest attack on a worship centre was unprecedented and had grave implications for the security and unity of the nation.
Contributing to the motion, Jibin Barau (APC, Kano North) called on security operatives to “get their acts together and find the perpetrators” saying that the killings were not tribal or religious.
“The killings are done by people that want to destabilise the nation,” he said.
Suleiman Adokwe (PDP, Nasarawa South) said the killings are being carried out under the noses of the military and nothing was being done.
“These things are going on right in front of the army. Some of these killings happen within the distance of 20-30 minutes drive from the army bases and nothing is happening. It can be interpreted to say that the government is aware, that’s why nothing is being done.
“Now I hear that the army and SARS arrest the wrong people and ignore the criminals. Even the Fulanis are scared of the terrorists because they too are being affected,” he said.
He further called for a state of emergency in the affected states, describing it as the best way to go.
The lawmaker said though the exercise was intended to curb and curtail these killings and destructions in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Kogi States, he lamented that “despite the military presence, there is no end to the wanton killings”.
He added that the latest attack on worship centre, which is unprecedented, has very grave implications for the security and unity of the country.
Contributing in the debate, Senator Gbolahan Dada lamented that over 3, 000 people have been killed since this herdsmen problem as ifvNigeria is in a state of war.
Senator Sam Anyanwu called for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state and other parts of the country to put an end to the incessant killings.
Senator Barau Jibrin in his contribution advised the security agencies to ensure that the importation and proliferation of arms and ammunition into the country is stopped by all means to save this “madness”
Senator Victor Umeh noted that the recent killing of Christian worshippers inside the church calls for caution, and wondered why the police is yet to arrest any suspect in connection with the carnage since Tuesday.
In his remarks, the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki expressed worry that the spate of killings in the country is taking a dangerous dimension, emphasising that such must stopped in order to protect the nation’s democracy
His words, “ We can’t continue to say we are leaders and not taking decisive action to end the carnage in the land . This is failure . No arrest of any of the killers over the years.
“ Something drastic ,something result must be done as we await the President to brief us in a joint session” .
Briefing the newsmen after plenary, Senator Akume explained that the people’s resolve not to adopt self defence is purely to ensure that the nation or the situation do not degenerate to anarchy even as he maintained that the Security apparatus of the nation can take care of the situation if they mean to.
Meanwhile, at least, seven persons were in the early hours of yesterday killed after suspected herdsmen entered a church in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
It was gathered that the herdsmen were said to have stormed Mbamondo clan around 12.20am, and attacked some displaced persons who had taken refuge at an African Church in the area.The attack left seven IDPs dead.
Chairman of Logo Local Government Council, Richard Nyajo, told newsmen that many houses were also said to have been burnt down during the attack.
A resident of the community, who gave his name as Umishi told newsmen that among those killed were: Festus Terdue Aguda, Mama Doom Uhule Oragbai, Shiaondo Tamen Tordue, Tamen Lorbume Shima, Mr Suur and several others.
However, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has returned from his overseas trip, and vowed to do everything within his powers to protect Benue people from murderous herdsmen.
It would be recalled that Ortom had travelled out of the country as part of his 12-day vacation.
Speaking at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his return having cut short his vacation to address the deteriorating security situation in the state, the governor vowed that Benue people would never allow intruders take over their land.
Ortom said: “The fact that we in Benue have chosen to be law-abiding does not mean that we are weak. I call on every Benue man and woman to remain resolute. The enemies cannot take our land away from us.”
Meanwhile, the senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Chief Victor Umeh, has warned of looming religious crisis in Nigeria, if no prompt action was taken to stop the senseless criminal attacks.
Reacting to the killing of two priests and 17 worshippers at a Catholic Church in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State in a motion sponsored by Senator George Akume, Umeh said killing of Nigerians has assumed a religious dimension.
According to him, there were concerted attacks on churches and mosques as a deliberate attempt to stoke religious crisis, warning that such move was very dangerous for the nation.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, criminals now stoke religious crisis, and this is a new dimension to killings in Nigeria.
“Religion is a volatile aspect, and if people could be killed in churches and mosques, and nobody is arrested by security operatives, then, we should watch out for religious war, if nothing is done.
“As I speak, there is a bitter pain within the Catholic community because we value priests as next to God, and I think Mr. President, something must be done.”
“The way Senator Dino Melaye was hunted down by policemen makes mockery of what happened in Benue State, thinking that by now, arrests would have been made.
“If churches and mosques are not protected and these killings continue, there would be an implosion in this country,” Umeh warned.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to give maximum attention to security, saying that it was not enough to make pronouncements condemning killings, when nothing was done to tame the menace, and restore law and order across the country.
Following the attacks by herdsmen, the National Economic Council (NEC), yesterday agreed to stop movement of herdsmen in the country, starting with the five mostly affected states of Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna and Plateau.
The Council also supported the immediate creation of ranches across the country.
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
According to him, the five mostly affected states which had witnessed herdsmen killings will be expected to make land available for the ranches.
He said through ranching, the nomadic herdsmen and their families would be able to access good medical facilities and good schools for their children if they stay in one place.
Staying in a ranch, he said, would also improve the well-being of the cattle.
The governor added that the Federal Government and the affected states would still iron out the interventions expected from the two parties.
He said foreign herdsmen should be able to show some travel documents, even though visa is not allowed for movement in West African.
The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh said the federal government would no longer allow the killings to continue.
He said Nigeria may no longer keep to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons.
Similary,the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a captured president who has been reduced to offering condolences to Nigerians slaughtered by herdsmen.
He said the President has failed in taking firm action to stop the atrocities.
Fayose wondered why a retired Army General and a former military Head of State who contested and won election on the premises of providing security to the citizens has suddenly become lame duck.
The governor said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, that “This is a killer government”, adding that it was shameful that Nigerians were dying daily with Buhari clueless and incompetent to handle the crisis.
“It is beyond dispute that the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress administration has lost the battle against insurgency and the Fulani herdsmen. Buhari is helpless as he is reduced to offering condolences on a daily basis.
“Nigerians are dying on a daily basis. Innocent souls are being wasted by herdsmen, and the Buhari administration has lost all moral right to continue in office. Why is he still sitting in office? Doing what, if I may ask”, he queried.
He wondered that this was a government that lambasted the PDP administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for cluelessness.
Fayose said, “The same Goodluck Jonathan administration era is now looking like the golden age of security of lives and properties in Nigeria”
“At no period since 1999 has life been this cheap. Life has become nasty, brutish, and short under the Buhari administration”, he said.
The governor also expressed misgivings about recent spate of controversial judgments by courts, which he said, gave the impression of collusion between unscrupulous judges and the Buhari administration to truncate democracy and lead the country into anarchy.
“The situation is getting so bad that we do not know whether the Constitution of the country has been unofficially suspended.
“Nigerians have been unlucky with Buhari as president. He is too old, analogue, incompetent, and clueless, and is not ready to admit and yield for a competent leader. This country has never had it this bad. Gradually, Buhari is becoming a maximum ruler,” he added.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi.