Chair of senate committee on police affairs says Benue attack may have been carried out by Libyan soldiers

CHAIRMAN of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs Senator Abu Ibrahim has dismissed suggestions that ethnic Fulani's are responsible for the recent murderous attacks in Benue State pointing out that Boko Haram insurgents or Libyan soldiers could be responsible.

Earlier this week, heavily-armed Fulani cattle herdsmen carried out a murderous attack in Benue State, leading to the deaths of about 80 people. Senator Ibrahim representing the Katsina South Senatorial District said that Fulani herdsmen are not able to handle sophisticated weapons used in executing these attacks and called for a thorough investigation of the atrocities.

Senator Ibrahim added: “We have to seriously investigate this as a normal Fulani man is not known to carry AK47s. The security agencies should probe whether the defeated Boko Haram insurgents were involved and whether the Gaddafi phenomenon has spilled over to Nigeria.

“It should be considered whether displaced Libyan soldiers had a hand in what happened because it is not easy to acquire AK47. I would also call for the suspension of hate speeches against President Muhammadu Buhari."

Responding to insinuations that the president was showing no concern to the killings, he said this was unfair. According to the senator, the president had despatched security personnel to Benue State to contain the situation, debunking the myth that he was indifferent to the killings.

“It is not true because the president has taken steps to bring the situation under control. He has deployed soldiers to Benue State, he ordered the inspector-general of police to relocate to Benue and he has taken other measures that may not be for public consumption.

“It is therefore wrong for anybody to say that the president is not interested in what happened in the state. When the president saw that the police effort was not bringing effective result, he promptly deployed soldiers,” Senator Ibrahim added.