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Military intelligence failure responsible for Plateau massacre, says Senate
The Upper Chamber called on the minister of Solid Mineral Development to immediately take action in putting a check on illegal miners and mining activities in the country, especially in the affected regions, and the government to issue such other directives as may be expedient in the circumstance to ensure compliance with this resolution
Disturbed by the attacks on Miango village in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State on Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1, 2021, carried out by armed bandits with massive killing and wanton destruction of property, the Senate has summoned the Security Chiefs to appear before it and provide an explanation for the military lapses.
The Senate has blamed the Christmas Eve massacre in communities in Plateau State that left 190 persons killed on the failure of military intelligence and reaction.
The Upper Chamber also considered the killings in Plateau as a national tragedy and blamed it on the failure of security intelligence and reaction.
As the Senate resumed plenary yesterday to pass the 2024 Appropriation Bill, it again mourned and this time, it is for the gruesome massacre of 190 citizens on Christmas Eve by assailants suspected to be herdsmen in Magu, Bokkos and Bakin Ladi in the North and Central parts of Plateau State.
Those summoned to appear before it by the Senate are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Others who were summoned are the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the Director General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, as well as the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The resolution of the Senate was a sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Senator Diket Plang, APC, Plateau Central on Saturday during plenary, who lamented the incessant attacks by criminals in Plateau State, raising the need for a National security summit.
In his presentation, Senator Diket Plang who described the incident as a well-coordinated attack, said that the impact of climate change and the growing business of illegal mining have combined to escalate tensions in the area even as he asked the senate to prevail on the military to always deploy its intelligence to forestall this kind of acts.
Senators have called on President Bola Tinubu to act now to nip in the bud, incessant Killings and security challenges in the country.
The Senate also urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to complete the Mopol Barracks situated in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, just as it urged the Nigerian Military to deploy intelligence and aerial in the affected Local Government Areas of Plateau State and its environs.
The Senate called on the Plateau State Government to strengthen the environmental mining laws to check the excesses of illegal miners in the State.
The Senate observed a minute silence in honour of the victims and resolved to send a high-powered delegation led by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to visit and condole with the victims.
It further urged the Plateau State Government to upscale dialogue between traditional rulers and religious leaders especially in the affected crisis areas using Kinetic solutions to funding solution to the crises
The Upper Chamber called on the minister of Solid Mineral Development to immediately take action in putting a check on illegal miners and mining activities in the country, especially in the affected regions, and the government to issue such other directives as may be expedient in the circumstance to ensure compliance with this resolution
In his contribution, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP Bauchi Central described the massacre in Plateau as unprecedented, revealing that even when there were rumours of the attack, those who were to act completely failed to do anything about it, opening the floodgate of calls for the Security Chiefs to be thoroughly grilled on the matter.
This was Senator Titus Zam from Benue Northwest who said that Nigeria is in deep trouble and should no longer pretend its situation to itself. He said it was time Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu acted to unearth the “enemies within”.
In his contribution, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, APC, Edo North called for a need to give an adequate explanation of the inadequate intelligence, asserting that Nigerians are angry with them, hence the need to invite the security chiefs to brief the Senate on the exact situation in a closed session.
