• Lawmakers demand more personnel for Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi border communities
•NEMA, North-East Development Commission urged to provide emergency relief
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Senate has called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel and the establishment of security camps along the borders of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states following the killing of about 80 people by armed bandits in Binari community, Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The upper chamber also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) to provide urgent relief materials to residents affected by the attack.
The resolutions followed a motion raised during plenary by Senator Isa Lau, who drew attention to the persistent attacks on rural communities in his constituency and the growing threat to lives and property.
Lau said the latest assault had claimed scores of lives, heightened insecurity and forced residents to flee their homes, warning that urgent intervention was necessary to prevent further killings.
He lamented the continued attacks by armed bandits on rural communities, stressing that the government must fulfil its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
The senator warned that failure to take decisive action could lead to further loss of lives, the destruction of communities and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the affected areas.
He urged the relevant authorities to strengthen security operations and establish a sustained presence in vulnerable communities to prevent armed groups from exploiting gaps in surveillance along the boundaries of the three states.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Mohammed Monguno described the motion as timely, stressing that protecting lives and property remained the fundamental responsibility of government.
“The primary purpose of governance is to protect the lives and property of the people,” Monguno said, commending Lau for bringing the plight of his constituents to the attention of the Senate.
Following deliberations on the motion, the Senate called on security agencies to deploy additional personnel to the affected communities and establish more security camps along the Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi borders.
The proposed measures are aimed at strengthening surveillance, improving security coverage in the vulnerable areas and preventing further attacks on rural settlements.
The Senate also urged NEMA and the NEDC to provide emergency assistance to displaced residents and other victims of the violence.