Senate rejects bias report on Benue killings

The Senate on Wednesday turned down the report on Benue killings presented by his committee on Police Affairs, contending that it was ‘biased’

The report, presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abu Ibrahim (APC Katsina South), was rejected for not seeking the views of the Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom.

The Benue state governor was indicted in the submissions made to the committee by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, whereas the Report did not factor his view on the crisis in Benue.

The Senate had earlier issued a-14 day ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police to apprehend killers of the 73 farmers in Benue state, while it mandated the committee to summon the IGP on the alleged ethnic cleansing in Benue.

But the Senate disagreed with the Committee’s Report on the basis that it relied solely on submissions made by the IGP against Governor Ortom, failing to make any efforts to get the views of the governor on allegations made against him.

The Report had quoted the IG as stating, “That following the outbreak of violence in some parts of Benue State, he led a team to commence on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the state with visits to flashpoints of the crises such as Logo and Guma LGAs in Benue State and Tunga in Nasarawa State.

“That thereafter, a stakeholders meeting was convened on Thursday, the 4th day of January, 2018 at Markurdi, Benue state, where he met with the Governor of Benue State, Religious Leaders, Traditional Leaders, Opinion Leaders and Civil Society Organizations.

“That the meeting in Benue State was meant to interact with the State Government and other Stakeholders with the view to finding lasting solution to the lingering crisis in the state.

“That on the strength of claims by the Benue State Governor at the stakeholders meeting alleging that there exist armed Militia camped in Tunga, in Awwe LGA of Nasarawa State awaiting to unleash Mayhem on Benue people, he further visited Nasarawa State for facts finding and engagement with stakeholders there, where he found that those claims were untrue”

One of the Senators representing Benue state, Senator George Akume (APC, Benue North West) tore into shreds the claims made by IGP before the committee as contained in the report .

Akume agreed with the submission by the governor about existence of armed militia in Tunga, in Awwe LGA of Nasarawa State for bloody onslaught on Benue people, adding that there were thousands of armed people going about in the state without being arrested .

He told the Senate, “This report is biased and should not be entertained further because for series of allegations were made against the Benue state governor in it by the IGP without any view of the governor reflected “.

But the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who did not allow debate on the report, agreed that the Report was incomplete, urging the Committee to go back and complete the investigation and report back to the senate in one week time.

He said, ” There is no need to debate now, let the committee go back to complete their work, the report is not compete. I allowed Gorge Akume to speak because he is the only closest person to the matter here.

“I have seen a lot of persons who wants to speak on this matter but I don’t think it is right to take debate on this now, let the committee go back and complete their work”, he added.