Senate Calls For Stronger Safety After 56 Killed In New Niger Bloodbath
Senate, on Tuesday, rose in outrage over the bloodbath of no fewer than 56 individuals in Konkoso Village, Niger State, demanding the fast reinforcement of safety presence within the troubled communities and a complete reassessment of the nation’s counterterrorism structure.
In a decision adopted throughout plenary, the higher chamber condemned, within the strongest phrases, the February 14 assault on communities in Borgu Native Authorities Space of Niger State, describing the killings, abductions, and arson as “brutal, callous and unacceptable”.
The assault, which occurred in Konkoso and neighbouring Pissa villages, reportedly, left over 56 individuals useless, with a number of ladies and kids kidnapped.
The attackers additionally razed properties and public services, together with a police station, in what lawmakers characterised as a coordinated act of terror.
Shifting a movement of pressing nationwide significance, Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) painted a grim image of the safety state of affairs, warning that the violence underscored widening vulnerabilities in rural communities throughout the North-central zone.
In accordance with him, the affected communities share boundaries with strategic forest corridors linking neighbouring states, routes he mentioned have more and more been exploited by armed {groups} for cross-border actions and coordinated legal operations.
“These forest corridors have turn out to be secure havens for terrorists,” Musa warned.
He mentioned the bloodbath was not an remoted incident however a part of a troubling sample of escalating assaults on rural settlements and farmlands.
Senate, in its resolutions, known as for the fast deployment of further safety personnel to the affected native authorities areas to strengthen fast response mechanisms and forestall additional assaults.
It additionally mandated its Committees on Defence, Military, Air Power, Police Affairs and Nationwide Safety to undertake a joint evaluation of the safety structure within the area and report again inside 4 weeks.
Lawmakers noticed a minute of silence in honour of the victims and prolonged condolences to bereaved households, in addition to to the federal government and folks of Niger State.
Sunday Aborisade
Times Nigeria