The House of Representatives has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately set up a Task Force to disarm herdsmen that attacked Buruku communities in Benue State that led to loss of lives and destruction of property last week.
In addition, the Presidency was advised, to as a matter of urgency investigate the reason behind the Ile Ife clash between Hausas and their Yoruba host that also led to loss of lives.
The lawmakers urged the Federal government to advise Osun State to pay compensation to the victims in addition to cleaning up arms in the community and withdraw unlicensed weapon in the country at large.
While condemning the 10th March, 2017 attack on Buruku, the lawmakers opined that the attackers may have been encouraged by lack of action on the part of the Federal government over past attacks.
As a consequence, the House is setting up an ad hoc Committee to meet with heads of security agencies to explain the reasons behind their inability to stop the attacks.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion by Emmanuel Oker-Jev (APC, Benue) and 10 others, who expressed concern that on Friday 10 march, 2017, the invading herdsmen became violent and destructive, created fear and tension which forced residents of most communities in Binev Council Ward to flee their homes.
According to him, the herdsmen destroyed farms, plundered yam barns and looted houses deserted by innocent and armless villagers.
He said: “On Saturday 11 March, 2017 the marauding herdsmen started indiscriminate attacks and killings of anybody they encountered around the communities of Ber Awuna, Dogo, Ortese – Mbashian, Tse Igyu, Tse Gebe, Anbighir, Tse Iwa, Gbaikyo, Agudu, Nyorum, Shonto and Abuku in three major kindreds of Mbade, Mbagoho, Mbashian, Mbaboor and Wuav.
“These violent attacks continued unabated without any intervention from any security agency throughout that Saturday and 20 people were reported killed by these armed herdsmen, out of which 10 bodies have so far been recovered and deposited at the local Government”.
According to him, the strange herdsmen, who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, seemed to be operating or supported by a killer squad of mercenaries that arrived the communities on Friday night on motorcycles and unleashed the mayhem the following day.
“The worst part of it is the attitude of security agencies once the crisis starts. They stand afar and they seem not to be interested.
“Now, we have reached the stage where it seems the Nigerian State is asking us to defend ourselves”, he added.
Tarkihgir Dickson (APC, Benue) condemned the Presidency for not reacting to past attacks, saying the attackers were encouraged by that silence.
“The president has said nothing and in my place, silence means consent. When we set up a committee we shouldn’t only send them to Benue State. The committee should go and ask the President what he is going to do”, Dickson said.
Mark Gbilah (APC, Benue), who said it was Fulani herdsmen that carried out the attack however regretted that the Nigerian military failed in its responsibility to protect the citizens.
He said going by the claims of a government officials that foreign herdsmen were responsible for similar attacks around the country, then Nigerian military has been
irresponsible by failing to check the invasion of Nigeria by the foreigners disguising as herdsmen.
However Baballe Bashir (APC, Kano) said it would be unfair to blame Fulani herdsmen for the attacks without sufficient evidence linking them to the violent acts.
On his part, Magaji Aliyu (APC, Jigawa) urged that all criminals acts be categorised as such, saying, “We must refer to these people as hoodlums and find out which interests are behind these groups and who arms them”.
In its resolution, the House also urged the National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) to send food and other relief materials to the affected communities.
Similarly, Sani Zorro (APC, Jigawa) in his motion on the Ife clash noted that concerted efforts must be made to stop a reoccurrence.
In their contributions, while Israel Famurewa (APC, Osun) said past Ife/Modakeke clashes have militarised the area and there is a need to clean up the arms in the area, Egho Oghene (PDP, Lagos) nited it has become necessary that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) be engaged and advised on the need to set up quick response team that will react to distress calls within six hours.
Albert Adeogun (APC, Osun) it was wrong to classify it as a communal clash because it was an incidence that was misinterpreted.
According to him, the relationships between the two have made it difficult to differentiate between them due to their deep cultural affinities.
He cited the case of the Seriki of Sabo that was born in Ife and now over 60 years of age, adding that intermarriage is common between the two groups.
Ali Madaki (APC, Kano) said the unfortunate clash was as a result of failure of the leadership that could not deliver on their responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of the citizenry.
Saying that action must be taken immediately to check the exodus of Hausas from Ife, the lawmaker said the incidence might have been averted if mainstream media had provided adequate coverage.
The two motions were unanimously adopted after being put to voice vote by the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun.
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