Nigerian Senate Demands Urgent Security Summit to Address Benue Killings

 The Nigerian Senate has called for an immediate national security summit to tackle the escalating violence in Benue State, where suspected armed herders have killed over 100 people in recent weeks. During a heated plenary session on Tuesday, senators condemned the attacks as “genocidal” and urged the federal government to act decisively. The resolution, sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), reflects growing frustration with the government’s handling of insecurity.

Udende detailed the carnage in his constituency, where villages in Gwer East and Logo have been razed, displacing thousands. “Our people are being slaughtered like animals. The federal government must stop this madness,” he said. The Senate directed its Committee on Security and Intelligence to investigate the attacks and report within three weeks. It also called for increased military presence in Benue and the prosecution of perpetrators. Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the need for dialogue, proposing a stakeholders’ summit involving governors, traditional rulers, and security chiefs.

The resolution follows public outrage, including protests in Makurdi, where police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International Nigeria, have accused the government of inaction, noting that over 1,000 people were killed in Benue between May 2023 and May 2025. The Ochetoha K’Idoma Forum, representing the Idoma community, labeled the attacks “ethnic cleansing” and criticized the federal government’s silence. President Bola Tinubu, responding to the crisis, ordered security agencies to “end the bloodshed,” but analysts question the feasibility without addressing root causes like land disputes and illegal arms flows.

The Senate’s call for a summit has drawn mixed reactions. Security expert Kabir Adamu praised the initiative but warned that previous summits yielded little action. Residents like Mary Iorbee, a displaced farmer, expressed doubt: “We’ve heard promises before. We need protection now.” The summit’s success will depend on concrete outcomes, including funding for security operations and reforms to address herder-farmer tensions.