The Senate on Tuesday gave the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, a two weeks ultimatum to arrest those who killed 73 persons in Benue State between December 31, 2017 and January 2, 2018.
The Senate also in its resolution mandated the the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Benue State to immediately prosecute those found culpable of the crime.
The Senate’s decisions followed the report of its Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the Current Security Infrastructures in Nigeria, chaired by Senator Ahmad Lawan.
The committee submitted its report for consideration on Tuesday.
Presenting the report for consideration, the Senate Leader informed the lawmakers that some faceless people are sponsoring and harbouring some well trained foreign mercenary elements and using them to unleash violence and criminality in Nigeria’s rural space.
Lawan added that the crisis has its origin in competition for access to natural resources such as land, water and pasture.
He said it has been aggravated and fuelled by proliferation of firearms.
The report also revealed that the presence of security forces is very thin on the ground or completely absent.
In addition, the report said in few places where the security forces are deployed, they are undermanned and under-equipped and easily overrun by better trained and equipped militia and foreign marauders.
In the recommendation of the committee, which was approved by the Senate, the committee asked the Federal Government to beef up and re-strategize its deployment of security intelligence capabilities.
The Senate also urged the Federal Government to ensure that those living in Internally Displaced Persons camps are properly taken care of.
The committee was informed by the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, that since 2011 they have witnessed 47 similar attacks against various communities in the state and nothing had been done to bring the attackers to book.
Lawan told the lawmakers that the violence and mayhem in Benue State is a manifestation of a larger national security crisis.
Lawan added that if the security crisis is not attended to, it could result in detracting the unity and cohesion of the nation by destroying its rural economy and the means of the people’s livelihood.