UPDATED: Benue killings: Senate rejects panel’s report

The Senate on Wednesday rejected the report of its Joint Committee on Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence on the killing of 73 indigenes in Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

It therefore asked the committee to withdraw the report and do a more balanced and objective report and submit it within one week for Senate consideration.

Describing the report presented by Abu Ibrahim (APC, Katsina State) as biased and unfairly prejudiced, the upper legislative chamber expressed dissatisfaction with the panel for failing to invite and speak with the Benue State Governor, Samuel Orthom, to get his own views even after the committee had met the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who spoke against the governor.

Presenting his report, Ibrahim highlighted the ‘achievements’ so far recorded by the IGP, a position seriously opposed by his colleagues who felt that the report is biased, unbalanced and incomplete.

Ibrahim, an APC member from President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state of Katsina, attracted condemnations from his colleagues when he said that the IGP should be commended for his efforts at resolving the Benue crisis.

Lawmakers including Senate President Bukola Saraki, his deputy Ike Ekweremadu and George Akume rebuked the committee for not only adopting the presentation of the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris, as its own recommendation but commending him for his efforts at resolving the crisis.

The committee recommended that the Nigeria Police Force should be encouraged to strengthen and fully utilize its intelligence gathering capabilities.

It noted that “The Police is grossly underfunded, therefore it is recommended that a percentage of excess crude oil fund of about 2 dollars should be made available through appropriation to the Police in order to beef up its operations”.

According to the committee, “Politicians and opinion leaders should desist from statements capable of inciting violence.”

It further recommended that deliberate steps should be taken to disarm all armed militia groups in Benue State and in the country in general.

In his contribution, Ekweremadu, blamed the committee for not speaking with the Benue State Governor.

According to him, “In the statement made by the IGP, he copiously mentioned the governor of Benue in most of the paragraphs but I didn’t see where the committee made an effort to speak with the gyovernor of Benue. This is sad because if in the circumstance, they did not interview the governor, and his name has been mentioned in respect of certain statements and actions, it would only be fair to him to be invited by the committee and hear his own side of the story so that we have a balanced view of what transpired”.

On his part, former Benue State governor, George Akume, drew the attention of the Senate to what he called serious case of abuse of oath of office by the IGP who he noted had become unfair and partial in the discharge of his responsibilities.

His words: “I have gone through this summary, what I want to say is that this report would have been more rounded if the governor who has been so massively accused by the IGP was also invited to make input into it”.

He pointed out contrary to the presidential directives which ordered the police boss to move to the crisis areas to end the killings, Idris spent only one day in Benue State and two days in Nasarawa. “His (Idris’) comment has always been very jaundiced. They are not based on professional soundness and they do not show any detachment and impartiality as far as this issue is concerned,” he said.

The lawmaker faulted claims by the IGP on the arrest of some persons connected with the killings, pointing out that “As we speak, people are being killed in Benue, Nasarawa, Zamara, Taraba states.

“We are simply saying that there are armed people who are going round killing our people. For me, it has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with mischief and economic deterministic. The IG has not been fair to the Nigerian people whom he has sworn to an oath to serve,” he added.

In his ruling, Saraki asked the committee to go back, carry out a balanced assignment and submit its report in the next one week.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja