Senate condemns massacre of 56 people in Niger

The Senate has condemned the killing of 56 Nigerians and the abduction of women and children in Konkoso village in Niger State, describing the attack as brutal and unacceptable.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Niger East Senator, Sani Musa, during an emergency sitting of the Senate on Tuesday.

Moving the motion, Mr Musa told lawmakers that more than 56 citizens were killed in Konkoso and nearby Pissa villages, while several women and children were abducted.

He explained that the affected communities shared boundaries with strategic forests linking neighbouring states, creating corridors exploited by terrorists for cross-border movements and coordinated criminal operations.

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Mr Musa warned that the North-central region has witnessed a rise in attacks on rural communities and farmlands, threatening food security, local economies, and broader national stability.

He commended President Bola Tinubu and security agencies for sustained counterterrorism efforts, acknowledging sacrifices made by troops confronting violent extremism across the country.

However, the senator expressed concerns that repeated assaults on remote communities revealed gaps in intelligence gathering, coordination, rapid response capabilities, and sustained territorial security presence.

He added that the abduction of women and children had deepened the humanitarian crisis, inflicting lasting psychological trauma on families and destabilising affected communities.

Mr Musa stressed that without structural reforms and the modernisation of Nigeria’s security framework, similar tragedies could persist despite ongoing military and intelligence operations nationwide.

Seconding the motion, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Monguno, called for increased budget allocation to security agencies to tackle insecurity.

“In the course of the ongoing budget defence, we discovered that there were zero capital budget releases to security agencies.

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“So in line with the president’s declaration of state of emergency on security, prominence should be given to security agencies,” Mr Monguno moved.

The lawmakers observed a minute of silence for the victims and extended condolences to bereaved families, as well as the government and people of Niger.

The Senate called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to the affected local government areas to strengthen rapid response and prevent further attacks.

It also mandated its Committees on Defence, Army, Air Force, Police Affairs, and National Security to conduct a joint assessment and report back within four weeks

(NAN)