Killings: Senate Orders Strengthening Of Joint Security Operations In Niger, Kwara

The Senate has called for the strengthening and upgrade of joint security operations in Niger and Kwara States as part of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity in parts of the country.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) on the floor of the upper chamber on Wednesday, in the wake of the brutal killing of over 50 people and the abduction of several women and children in Konkoso District, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The Senate mandated its Committees on Defence, Army, Air Force, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to conduct a joint assessment of the security situation in the North-Central region.

The committees are expected to report back to the Senate within four weeks with clear and actionable recommendations.

Leading the debate, Musa lamented that the North-Central region has increasingly witnessed coordinated attacks on rural communities, farmlands, and settlements, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to food security and national stability.

Lawmakers expressed concern that the persistent pattern of attacks on remote communities indicates gaps in intelligence coordination among security agencies and has further deepened the humanitarian crisis in the region.

The Senate observed a one-minute silence in honour of the victims and urged security agencies to intensify surveillance and intelligence-sharing efforts.

It also called for enhanced collaboration between security formations in Niger and Kwara states to dismantle cross-border terrorist networks operating along their shared boundaries.

Last Saturday, motorcycle-riding gunmen reportedly stormed three villages in the central region, killing at least 46 people.

According to a security report cited by AFP, the attackers used 41 motorcycles, each carrying two or three armed men.

The affected villages, located in Borgu near the border with Kwara State, have witnessed repeated assaults in recent weeks.

The deadliest incident occurred in Konkoso village, where at least 38 residents were shot dead or had their throats slit.

Several homes were also set ablaze, with reports indicating that more bodies were still being recovered.

The renewed violence has once again drawn attention to Nigeria’s security challenges in the North-Central zone, where armed bandits and other criminal elements have continued to launch attacks, leaving scores dead and property destroyed.