Akpabio Takes on Alia over Insecurity, Queries His Silence over Benue Killings

•N’Assembly leadership plans to present security resolutions to Tinubu 

•Marafa seeks probe of murdered  Zamfara cleric

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday, lamented the unabated killings in Benue State and wondered why Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia of the state, has not been speaking up on the unfortunate development.

Akpabio expressed the surprise at plenary while ruling on a motion by the senator representing Benue North East Senatorial District, Emmanuel Udende.

Udende, in his motion, expressed deepest sadness that no fewer than 50 persons have been killed in fresh attacks on several communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina Ala Local Government Areas of Benue state by terrorist parading as herdsmen.

He said the development was increasing insecurity in the affected local government areas in the state.

The Senate, therefore, resolved to dust all its past resolutions of the National Assembly on the incessant killings across Nigeria for onward presentation to the executive arm of government for actions.

The red chamber also faulted the security architecture of Nigeria, stressing that the armed forces had received appropriations much enough to deal with insecurity.

In his comments after the resolution was passed, Akpabio challenged the Benue governor to express concern about the situation.

He also disclosed that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas and himself would soon schedule another meeting with President Tinubu on the situation.

“The primary responsibility of the state government is to use the security vote to ensure that the security of lives and properties  in Benue State is protected.

“The first line of thought is the government of Benue  as Senator Udende  brought, we have not heard any  comments from the government of Benue.

“If 50 people and communities are attacked, we  will expect that the government will  marshal out plans with the immediate security  operatives within the affected states  and see what they can do before bringing it to the President.

“I want to assure you that President Bola Tinubu though he has not stayed long in office, he is supportive of the activities of the Armed Forces.

“By the time the Senate meets with him in conjunction with the House of Representatives, I believe that the resolutions that we come out will benefit the entire country.

“It is a fact that since his assumption of duties, insecurity has abated, major attacks are no longer taking place, but this one is just an aberration,  and it will be brought to an  end.

“I assure  the good people of the areas affected  that this matter is now on the floor of Senate and we are taking serious actions with the presidency to  ensure that normalcy is restored to the areas  and the victims are also taken care of.”

The Senate, however, mandated the leadership of the National Assembly to pay a visit to Tinubu on the security situation with a  summarised committee reports’ recommendations on security by the 8th, 9th and 10th Assembly to order solutions on insecurity.

The red chamber also urged the Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, and other security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, deploy security personnel to address the continuing and ongoing attacks by armed terrorists parading themselves as heads men in the area.

Senators in their various contributions, lamented that the insecurity situation in Benue had not improved since the Senate had over 10 hours meeting with the Service Chiefs recently.

Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North), President of the 9th Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, said Nigerians were tired of seeing senators always observing one minute silence over incessant killings of innocent souls in the country.

Meanwhile,  Senator Kabiru Marafa, has condemned the killing of a prominent Islamic scholar, Imam Abubakar Hassan Mada in  Mada Town, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, on Tuesday, allegedly by members of the state-owned Community Protection Guards (CPG).

Community leaders and credible witnesses said the cleric was slaughtered on Tuesday around 7: pm by members of the CPG, a few metres away from Mada Town.

Last month, Alhaji Magaji Lawali, an associate of Senator Marafa was killed by members of the CPG. The dust over the killing of Magaji Lawali is yet to settle as his family members were seeking a probe.

Marafa, in a statement on Wednesday, described the act as the peak of inhumanity against fellow human beings, calling for a thorough probe.

“I call on the Zamfara State Government to come out clean out of these atrocities that are being committed by the members of the Community Protection Guards (CPG).

“If they are not acting the script of the state government to wipe out members of the opposition party, the state government should as a matter of urgency arrest and commence an open, thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances that led to the brutal murder.”