Senate Condemns Brutal Massacre of 56 People in Niger State

By 𝔸bdulrazak Tomiwa

The Senate condemned the killing of 56 Nigerians and the abduction of families in Konkoso and Pissa villages, Niger State. Lawmakers labeled the brutal attack unacceptable and a severe threat to national stability.

Senator Sani Musa raised the issue through a motion of urgent national importance on Tuesday. He noted that terrorists are exploiting forest corridors to carry out coordinated cross-border criminal operations.

Musa warned that attacks on farmlands are destroying local economies and jeopardizing food security. He added that mass abductions have created a humanitarian crisis and caused deep psychological trauma for survivors.

Lawmakers expressed concern over gaps in intelligence and rapid response despite the sacrifices of security forces.

They emphasized that modernizing the security framework is vital to stopping these recurring tragedies.

Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno highlighted a critical funding shortage for security agencies during the session. He stated, “In the course of the ongoing budget defence, we discovered that there were zero capital budget releases to security agencies.”

Monguno argued that security funding must be prioritized following the President’s state of emergency declaration. He urged the government to ensure capital budgets for defense are released without further delay.

The Senate observed a minute of silence for the victims and offered condolences to their families. They demanded the immediate deployment of additional troops to the affected areas to restore order.

Joint committees on Defence, Army, and National Security were mandated to assess the situation. They must conduct a thorough investigation and present a report to the house within four weeks.