…Six Mobile Police Officers Among Victims
The Senate has condemned the killing of 113 people, including six mobile police officers, in coordinated attacks on communities in Benue State, demanding urgent federal intervention to halt the bloodshed and prevent further loss of lives.
The lawmakers, who unanimously adopted a motion on Thursday, called for intensified security operations, improved intelligence gathering, the arrest of perpetrators and immediate humanitarian assistance for thousands of residents displaced by the attacks.
The motion, sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Udende, who represents Benue North-East Senatorial District, followed a fresh wave of violence in Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo local government areas during the Senate recess.
Moving the motion under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules, Udende said the attacks had left a trail of death and destruction, displacing thousands of families, destroying property worth millions of naira and disrupting farming activities across the affected communities.
He disclosed that 24 people were killed in the Sai community in Katsina-Ala, while 63 others died in attacks on Mbaom and Aboju villages in Ukum local government area.
Another 15 people, including six mobile police officers reportedly on duty, were killed in Ayilammo, Logo local government area. Further attacks were also reported on October 8, 2026, in Sebiliji and Seshishi Nyaku villages in Ukum.
“In total, 113 precious lives were lost, properties worth millions of Naira destroyed, and thousands of families displaced from their ancestral homes,” Udende told the Senate.
He warned that the recurring attacks had deepened the hardship facing rural communities, particularly farmers whose livelihoods depend on agriculture.
The senator lamented that the violence had crippled economic activities and left residents increasingly vulnerable, insisting that urgent intervention was necessary to stop the killings and restore peace.
The deaths of six mobile police officers also heightened concerns among senators, who argued that the attacks demonstrated the urgent need to reinforce security operations in the troubled communities.
The lawmakers called for the deployment of additional security personnel, adequate operational equipment and more effective intelligence-driven strategies to protect residents and prevent further attacks.
Adopting the motion unanimously, the Senate condemned the killings and called on the Federal Government to take immediate and decisive action to end the recurring violence in the affected communities.
The upper chamber urged the government to ensure coordinated security operations backed by sufficient personnel, equipment and logistical support.
It specifically called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff and heads of other security and intelligence agencies to strengthen operations in the affected areas.
The agencies were also urged to establish effective early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms, investigate the killings, apprehend those responsible and ensure sustained protection for vulnerable communities.
The Senate stressed that improved coordination among security agencies was critical to identifying threats early and preventing attacks before they escalated.
In a move to address the humanitarian fallout, the Senate mandated the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), working with the Benue State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant authorities, to provide immediate relief materials and humanitarian assistance to displaced residents and other victims.
The intervention is expected to provide urgently needed food, shelter and essential supplies to families forced to flee their homes by the violence.
The Senate also mandated its Committee on Legislative Compliance to monitor the implementation of the resolutions, particularly the deployment of additional security personnel to the affected communities.
The lawmakers observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims and expressed condolences to their families and the affected communities.
They also commiserated with the Nigeria Police Force over the loss of the six mobile police officers reportedly killed while on duty in Ayilammo.
The latest massacre has renewed concerns about the safety of rural communities in Benue, one of Nigeria’s major food-producing states, where persistent violence has displaced residents, disrupted farming and threatened livelihoods.
The Senate’s intervention comes amid continuing calls for a sustained security strategy to address recurring attacks, improve intelligence gathering and protect vulnerable populations.
