Unic Press UK: The Senate, the upper chamber of Nigeria’s bicameral legislature, yesterday issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, to apprehend the criminal herdsmen who attacked innocents – in Guma local government area (LGA) situated on the north-eastern part of Benue State and in Logo LGA, Benue State, Nigeria – on Monday, the 1st January 2018, killing more than 70 people.
Benue Killing: Following deliberations on security report in Benue, Senate resolves that the:
-Senate condemns in strong terms the wanton killings,-Senate gives the inspector general @PoliceNG 14 days to arrest and investigate the perpetrators of this act,
— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) January 16, 2018
”In the next 14 days, the Inspector General of Police must find the perpetrators, arrest them, and the Attorney General of Benue State must prosecute them. That is minimum requirement and it must happen”.- Senate President @bukolasaraki
— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) January 16, 2018
The Senate reached the decision to compel the IGP to bring the criminals to book after taking into account a report from the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the review of the security infrastructure in Nigeria. The committee had visited Benue State prior to presenting its report at Senate plenary.
A mass burial of 73 people who were brutally murdered by nomadic herdsmen in Benue State, Nigeria, was held on 11th January 2018 in Makurdi, the capital city of Benue.
In his initial reaction after the massacre by herdsmen on New Year’s Day, the Governor of Benue State, Sam Ortom, said: “The federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari must rise and give us protection to show that we are true citizens of this country.”
The governor also spoke to the CNN, saying: “They had threatened to wipe out the whole state if we did not repeal the law, and allow their cattle to graze wherever they like. They say cattle are more precious than human beings. The rule of the law should be respected and punishment should be meted out on those who violate it,” the CNN report on 11th January 2018)
