What I did to halt Benue killings, Buhari tells Senate
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday replied the Senate on Benue killings, saying it’s incorrect to infer that the crisis was left to fester.
Buhari in the letter, dated January 25 read by Senate President Bukola Saraki during plenary session yesterday, enumerated various steps he has taken on the Benue killings.
The Senate had on January 16 passed a resolution on the killings in Benue State and issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Inspector - General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to arrest the killers.
Buhari said the first step he took was on January 4, this year when he ordered the Minister of Interior and the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations to proceed to Benue for an on the spot assessment.
He said the following day the IGP, Ibrahim Idris verbally briefed him on the latest situation and that he was told calm had been restored in the state.
“On Monday January 8, the minister of interior met with the governors of Adamawa, Kaduna, Niger, Benue Taraba and Nasarawa states together with the DG of the DSS, IGP, minister of agriculture and rural development and commissioners of the six aforementioned states,” he said.
He said after the meeting, he instructed the minister of interior to brief the Senate on the information gathered so far and steps taken.
“On Tuesday, January 9, I had a long session with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State during which I informed him of police arrests of some suspects with Kalashnikovs. In addition, I told him that I had instructed the IGP to speed up the trial and prosecution of the suspects and give wide publicity of the police efforts.
“At the request of the governor, a meeting was held in the presidential villa on January 15, with a wide cross-section of Benue personages where frank and open discussions were held and everybody appreciated the complexities and difficulties of this farmers-herders strife. I assured all and sundry of my commitment to ensure justice is expeditiously done,” he said.
The President said: “To infer, therefore that nothing has been done is incorrect. The police are strenuously working to apprehend the rest of the culprits of these heartless killings. Furthermore, I have instructed the IGP to relocate to Benue State and redeploy forces to the most sensitive towns.”
Buhari said the Federal Government was initiating additional measures to address the Benue issue and other security challenges, alleviate the consequences of these attacks and forestall reoccurrence.
“The Senate resolutions itemised in your letter will be taken into consideration and I’m instructing all relevant MDAs to factor them in their work,” he said.
He said action is being initiated for the review of the national security architecture as promised in his inaugural address on 29th May, 2015.
The Senate yesterday summoned the IGP over his failure to arrest the perpetrators of Benue killings. The summon followed a point of order by Senator Joshua Lidani (PDP, Gombe) on the 14 days ultimatum given to the police boss to arrest the killers.
Saraki mandated the joint committees of the Senate on Police Affairs and National Intelligence to invite the IGP today. The committees are to report back to Senate Tuesday.
“We must make it very clear that the resolution must be respected. People think that we are going to allow the issue to be swept under the carpet, no, he (IGP) needs to take it very serious,” he said.