The Nigerian Senate has officially declared the recent mass killings in Yelwata, Benue State, and Mangu, Plateau State, as acts of terrorism, calling for comprehensive reforms to the country's national security strategy.
During an emotional plenary session on Wednesday, the Senate condemned the coordinated attacks that claimed over 200 lives in Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on June 18, and the killing of 12 Kaduna indigenes in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on June 21.
Benue Massacre Details
Senator Titus Zam (APC, Benue North West) moved the motion on the Yelwata massacre under matters of urgent national importance. According to eyewitness accounts shared by the senator, heavily armed assailants launched a coordinated night-time raid on Yelwata, resulting in widespread destruction, the deaths of more than 200 civilians—many of them women and children—and the razing of several communities.
"What we are witnessing is state failure. And outside this chamber, there is a final judgment before God," Senate President Godswill Akpabio remarked during the session.
Plateau State Killings
In a separate but related motion, Senator Ibrahim Khalid (PDP, Kaduna North) brought attention to the gruesome killing of 12 wedding-bound travelers from Kaduna State. The victims, including women and children, were traveling in an officially marked Ahmadu Bello University bus when they were ambushed and murdered in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
"This was not a mistake. It was a barbaric act. The victims were clearly in a university vehicle, seeking directions, yet they were set ablaze," Khalid lamented.
Senator Sunday Marshal Katung (PDP, Kaduna South) warned about the dangerous cycle of retaliatory killings, stating, "If this 'eye for an eye' cycle continues, we will all end up blind."
Senate Resolutions
The Senate passed several key resolutions, including:
A call for the Federal Government to deploy additional military personnel to Benue State, particularly Yelwata and other known flashpoints
Demands for a thorough and transparent investigation to identify and prosecute all perpetrators
Urging the government to compensate victims' families and reconstruct destroyed properties
Advocating for community-based policing models better suited to protecting vulnerable populations
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) emphasized that the violence reflects a broader breakdown of state capacity and should be treated as a national emergency rather than isolated communal unrest.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) advocated for the modernization of intelligence gathering and security operations, suggesting technology-driven methods to enhance response effectiveness in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
According to reports, President Tinubu has issued strong directives regarding the incidents, and police have confirmed the arrest of 53 suspects in connection with the Mangu killings.
"Burning humans and the vehicle they came in is beyond heinous. This must not go unpunished," stated Senator Jibrin Barau, who presided over part of the session.
The Senate's declaration of these incidents as acts of terrorism marks a significant escalation in official recognition of the severity of Nigeria's security challenges, particularly in the Middle Belt region.
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