Benue killings: Senate asks FG to deploy additional troops

By Henry Umoru

The Senate has condemned in very strong terms the repeated killings in Benue State, asking the nation’s security leadership, including the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Olufemi Oluyede and the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Olatunji Disu, to intensify coordinated operations to apprehend those responsible for a fresh wave of killings in the State.

The Senate also urged the Federal Government to immediately deploy additional military and paramilitary personnel to Apa Local Government Area and other affected parts of the state to restore law and order.

The Upper Chamber mandated its Committees on Defence, Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the recurring attacks in Benue South and across the state, with a view to recommending sustainable solutions.

It also directed the establishment of a Police Area Command and a military base in Apa and Agatu Local Government Areas, while calling for increased funding to security agencies to boost intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid response capabilities in vulnerable communities.

The Senate urged the Federal Government to develop a long-term strategy to tackle farmer-herder conflicts through ranching policies, land use reforms and community-based conflict resolution mechanisms.

The Senate observed a minute of silence in honour of victims of the Ankpali-Edikwu attack.

Resolutions of the Senate on Wednesday followed a motion sponsored by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South.

In his presentation, Senator Moro raised the alarm over what he described as the gruesome killings of several residents in Ankpali-Edikwu, Apa Local Government Area, on April 12, 2026.

According to him, the attacks were allegedly carried out by suspected armed herdsmen.

He said that the incident reflects a disturbing pattern of recurring violence across rural communities in Benue state, resulting in loss of lives, displacement of residents and destruction of property.

Moro expressed concern that the persistent insecurity, particularly in Apa and other parts of the state, has created widespread fear, disrupted farming activities and poses a serious threat to food security in the region.

Citing the increasing frequency and brutality of the attacks, he said that the Senate questioned the adequacy of existing security measures and that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property.

According to him, the Senate commended ongoing efforts by security agencies, but emphasised the need to overhaul the country’s security architecture toward more proactive, intelligence-driven and community-based approaches.

However, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, declined to put to vote a resolution urging the Benue State governor to take greater responsibility for protecting lives and property.

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