Benue Killings: Senate Seeks Military Base In Affected Community, Reps Want Drones Deployed

The Senate on yesterday urged the Federal Government to establish a military base in Kwande, Benue State, to strengthen security and allow displaced residents to safely return to their homes.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance raised by Senator Emmanuel Udende (Benue Northeast) in response to escalating terrorist attacks across Kwande communities.

In a related development, the House of Representatives also urged the federal government and security agencies to urgently deploy additional technological support, such as drones, logistical support, surveillance assets, and modern combat equipment, to the forces in Kwande LGA to contain and neutralise the bandits.

The lower chamber also called on the federal government to transform the Benue–Nigeria–Cameroon border area into an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) with robust security and economic infrastructure to promote legitimate activities and deny criminals safe havens.

In the Red Chamber, Senator Udende told the upper chamber that recent coordinated assaults by armed attackers in Kwande local government area have killed more than 20 residents and forced many families to flee.

He said the assailants targeted villages and local markets, leaving widespread destruction and fear among residents struggling to rebuild.

The lawmaker recalled that on February 5, 2026, gunmen invaded a settlement in the area, killing several residents, injuring others, and destroying homes and properties.

He noted that nearly 50 people were reportedly killed during the February attacks, while several residents remain missing.

Supporting the motion, Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West) described the crisis as a national emergency and emphasized that the proposed military base would proactively safeguard lives ahead of upcoming political activities.

Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) stressed the need for a broader security strategy, urging the government to ensure that armed forces receive adequate funding, logistics, and operational support.

The Senate observed a one-minute silence in honour of victims from Abande, Awu, Asinuba, Awapacho, and other affected communities. Lawmakers further called on security agencies to intensify patrols and surveillance to prevent further attacks.

The lawmakers specifically requested the establishment of a military base along the Ikyurav-Ya-Ukusu axis to ensure a sustained security presence, enabling displaced residents to return to their ancestral homes.

Additionally, the Senate urged telecommunications companies to install communication masts in the affected areas to facilitate timely distress calls during emergencies.

It also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials and humanitarian assistance to families affected by the attacks in Kwande and other areas of Benue State.

In the green chamber, the lawmakers urged an immediate ban on illegal mining in affected areas, alongside a strict regulatory presence to monitor and control operations and block criminal exploitation.‎‎

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Terseer Ugbor (APC, Benue) at plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion, Ugbor said in recent weeks, coordinated attacks by armed mercenaries and bandits have struck several communities in Kwande Local Government Area, causing deaths, injuries, property destruction and mass displacement.‎‎

He noted that on 3rd February 2026, attackers invaded the Abande and Anwase communities in Turan district, killing at least 17 people including a Mobile Police officer, injuring others and destroying homes, farmlands, and livelihoods while similar assaults also hit Anem and Tomataan in Ikyurav-Ya and parts of Ikyov in Ushongo local government. ‎

The lawmaker informed that last Thursday, armed assailants killed 16 people in Mbaav community in Mbadura Council Ward and Mbachoon community including surrounding areas in Yaav Council Ward, with others sustaining various degrees of injuries.

“As we speak here today Mr Speaker, a mass burial is currently planned to bury some of the people who recently lost their lives to these attacks.‎‎‎

“Following my visit and on-the-spot assessment to the affected areas on Sunday, 8th March 2026, I observed that while a full battalion of Nigerian Army personnel are deployed, they face operational constraints that hinder effective response.

“The operational mission is also not clear if this is simply a peace keeping mission or a full combat operation to flush out armed groups and bandits who have found a safe haven around the axis. ‎‎

“The porous Nigeria–Cameroon border corridor in Benue State offers easy entry/exit routes and safe havens in ungoverned spaces for armed groups, combined with illegal mining in the mineral-rich border area attracting criminal networks and fueling illicit activities worsening regional insecurity.

“The Kashimbila area in Taraba State has also become a staging ground for these terrorists disturbing the peace of the region, raising concerns that without urgent action, attacks may escalate, deepening the humanitarian crisis and endangering national security,”he added.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence to liaise with relevant agencies for prompt implementation and report back to the House.

It observed a one-minute silence for fallen men and women who had been affected by the ongoing violence in Benue and other parts of the country.