The Nigerian Senate has declared the recent mass killings of over 200 civilians in Yelwata, a community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, and the massacre of 12 Kaduna indigenes in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, as acts of terrorism.
This came as the Red Chamber, on Wednesday, called for comprehensive reforms to Nigeria’s national security strategy, including the adoption of community-based policing models more suited to protecting vulnerable populations.
While condemning the attacks, which occurred on June 18 and 21 as part of a broader, systematic campaign of violence, the Senate demanded urgent and wide-ranging federal intervention to halt the ongoing bloodshed across the country.
The resolution followed a motion on the Yelwata massacre moved by Senator Titus Zam (APC, Benue North West), under matters of urgent national importance during a highly emotional plenary session.
Quoting eyewitness accounts, Senator Zam said the assailants, armed with heavy weaponry, launched a coordinated night-time raid on Yelwata, resulting in widespread destruction, the deaths of more than 200 civilians, many of them women and children, and the razing of several communities.
He described the attack as deliberate and genocidal, emphasising that these were not isolated incidents or spontaneous clashes, but rather planned atrocities targeting vulnerable rural populations.
His sentiments were echoed by many of his colleagues, who took turns to express their anger, grief, and concern over the growing pattern of violence in Benue and other parts of Nigeria.
The Senate passed a resolution comprising several key demands and recommendations, including a call on the Federal Government to deploy additional military personnel to Benue State, particularly Yelwata and other known flashpoints, to prevent further attacks and restore security.
The Red Chamber also called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the massacre, with the aim of identifying and prosecuting all perpetrators.
It further urged the Federal Government to compensate the families of the victims and commence the reconstruction of properties destroyed during the attack.
In his contribution, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) stated that the violence in Benue reflects a broader breakdown of state capacity, urging the chamber to treat the situation as a national emergency rather than as isolated communal unrest.
He also called for a legislative oversight mission to ascertain the extent of the damage and ensure a proper government response.
Similarly, Senator Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara North) highlighted comparable attacks in Patigi, Kwara State, underscoring that the violence in Benue is part of a growing national pattern.
In his contribution, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) advocated for the modernisation of intelligence gathering and security operations, suggesting technology-driven methods to enhance the effectiveness of responses in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, said, “What we are witnessing is state failure. And outside this chamber, there is a final judgment before God.”
Meanwhile, the Red Chamber on Wednesday erupted in grief and outrage over the gruesome killing of 12 wedding-bound travellers from Kaduna State, who were ambushed and murdered in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on June 21.
The victims, including women and children, were travelling in an officially marked Ahmadu Bello University bus when they were attacked by suspected local youths.
Rising under a motion of urgent national importance, Senator Ibrahim Khalid (PDP, Kaduna North) described the attack as “a chilling example of lawlessness and rising intolerance.”
He warned that the unchecked violence across the country signals a systemic breakdown of law and order.
“This was not a mistake. It was a barbaric act. The victims were clearly in a university vehicle, seeking directions, yet they were set ablaze,” Khalid lamented.
Seconding the motion, Senator Sunday Marshal Katung (PDP, Kaduna South) noted that retaliatory killings are fast becoming a dangerous norm.
He said, “If this ‘eye for an eye’ cycle continues, we will all end up blind,” urging the swift prosecution of the perpetrators and an end to impunity.
The lawmaker expressed cautious optimism over reports that arrests had been made, but insisted that justice must not only be promised, but delivered.
Other senators drew parallels with similar massacres in Benue and Southern Kaduna, calling for a coordinated national response.
The Presiding Officer, Senator Jibrin Barau, described the killings as “brutal and inexcusable.”
“Burning humans and the vehicle they came in is beyond heinous. This must not go unpunished. With President Tinubu reportedly issuing strong directives and the police confirming the arrest of 53 suspects so far, the Senate insists that anything short of full justice would only embolden future attackers. This was not just an attack on people. It was an attack on our collective humanity,” Senator Khalid said.
