•Urges security agencies to investigate, bring perpetrators to justice
•Probes killing of 12 wedding-bound travellers in Plateau
•Tasks IGP to immediately arrest, prosecution those found culpable
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- THE Senate has asked the Federal Government to deploy, without delay, more troops to Yelewata and other affected communities of Benue State to restore law and order.
The call followed the killings at Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on the night of Friday, June 13, 2025, when gunmen killed over 200 villagers.
The Senate has also asked security agencies to carry out holistic investigation into the killings and bring the perpetrators to justice, while also commencing a probe into the killing of twelve innocent travellers journeying from Zaria, Kaduna State to attend a wedding ceremony in Quan pan Local Government Area of Plateau State.
It equally called on the federal government to reconstruct the destroyed properties of the people of Yeleweata, compensate them for the huge losses and deploy more troops to troubled areas in Benue State.
The Senate while commending President Bola Tinubu for directing the establishment of a stakeholders committee to work for peace in Benue State, however, observed a moment of silence in honour of the victims of the Yelewata massacre.
The Upper Chamber further hailed the President for encouraging the establishment of ranches as permanent solution to the herders/farmers conflicts in the country.
Resolutions of the Senate, yesterday, were sequel to a motion moved by Senator Titus Zam, APC, Benue North West.
In his presentation, Senator Zam said the ‘’Senate notes with deep concern, the dastardly attack on the peaceful community of Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which occurred on the night of June 13, 2025, resulting in the tragic killing of over 200 innocent civilians, including women and children.
“Also notes that this unprecedented tragic genocidal attack at Yelewata was executed in a systematic manner never known before in the history of such attacks.
“Further notes the accounts by survivors and rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which described the attack as well-coordinated and executed with impunity.
“Concerned that this massacre reflects a continued pattern of insecurity, targeted killings and displacement of rural communities which recently happened at Aondoana and Naka towns, both of Gwer-west Local Government Area in Benue State within the span of one month from which 50 lives were lost.
“Alarmed by the lack of timely intervention by security agencies, which may have prevented or mitigated the loss of lives and property during these attacks.
“Laments the seeming inability of Benue State government to utilise the available huge security resources at its disposal to safeguard the people of Benue State.
“Notes, however, with pleasure and commendation the timely intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who visited Benue State, directed the immediate release of relief materials by NEMA to the affected families and ordered security agencies to carry out investigations, which led to the arrest of several individuals suspected to be connected with the killings.”
Meanwhile, the Senate has mandated its committees on national security and intelligence; police affairs; and defence, to carry out a holistic investigation into the killing of 12 Plateau-bound travellers from Zaria, Kaduna State, in Mangu district of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau and make appropriate recommendations.
The Red chamber also urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun to arrest, without delay, and prosecute all those found culpable in this incident and other previous attacks on travellers and innocent civilians in Plateau State, in accordance with the law,
It condemned in the strongest terms, the brutal killing of the twelve wedding guests and commiserated with the families of the victims and government of Kaduna State over the tragic incident; and asked Plateau and the Federal Governments to compensate families of the victims.
The Senate equally asked that more security personnel, including specialised units, be deployed to vulnerable areas in Plateau State and other parts of the country experiencing similar communal unrest, with particular focus on intelligence gathering, early warning systems and rapid response mechanisms.
The resolutions on the matter were sequel to a motion was sponsored by Senator Khalid Mustapha, PDP, Kaduna North.
The lawmakers observed a minute silence in honour of the twelve victims of the Mangun tragedy and all other innocent lives to mindless violence in plateau state.
In his presentation, Senator Mustapha said, among others: “The Senate: Note that on Friday, June 21, 2025 at about 6:00 p.m., twelve (12) innocent travelers, journeying from Zaria Kaduna State to attend a wedding ceremony in Quan pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, tragically lost their lives in Mangun District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State;
“Also notes that the victims were travelling in an official vehicle belonging to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, which departed from Zaria, Kaduna State but reportedly lost their way and inadvertently entered Mangu-community, where they stopped to ask for direction to Quan’ Pan.
“Further notes that soon after the request for direction, the heartless youths attacked them and killed 12 people, and set their vehicle ablaze.’’
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