Your allegation over Benue killings is incorrect, Buhari replies Senate 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday replied Senate over insinuation that Presidency has not done anything in connection with the killings of 73 people in Benue state saying the allegation is incorrect. 

Buhari in a letter dated 25th January said that Police has arrested  some suspects involved in the killings with with Kalashnikovs (Sub-machines gun) .

Buhari said in the strongly worded letter that at a session with Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on January 9, the governor was duly informed on the arrest of some suspects involved in the mayhem

He said the governor was also informed that the police had been instructed to speed up trial of the suspects and give wide publicity on the police efforts.

The letter reads in full:

“As I briefed you and the RT. Hon speaker when we met, several courses of action have been taken prior to the senate resolution. You may recall that I told you of the following steps taken as soon as the information came to me about the Benue killings.

“On Thursday 4th January, I sent the minister of interior and the deputy inspector-general of police in charge of operations for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

“on Friday 5th January, the inspector-general of police briefed me verbally on the latest situation. calm had then been restored.

“on Monday 8th, the minister of interior met with the following, governors of Adamawa, Kaduna, Niger, Benue Taraba and Nasarawa together with the DG of the State Security Services, inspector-general of police, CG civil defence, minister of agriculture and rural development and police commissioner of the six aforementioned states.

“After the meeting, I  instructed the minister of interior to brief you on the information gathered so far and steps taken.

“On Tuesday, 9th of January, at a session with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state during which I informed of police arrests of some suspects with Kalashnikovs. In addition, I told him that I  had instructed the IGP to speed up trial and Prosecution of the suspects and give wide publicity to the police efforts. 

“At the request of the Governor, a meeting was held in the presidential villa on 15th with a wide cross-section of Benue personages where frank and open discussions were held and everybody in the meeting  appreciated the complexity and  difficulties of this farmer-herders strife.

“I assured all and sundry of  my commitment to  ensure justice is expeditiously done. 

“To infer, therefore that nothing has been done is incorrect. The police are strenuously working to apprehend the rest of the culprits of these heartless killings.

“Furthermore, I have instructed the IGP to relocate to Benue state and redeploy forces to the most sensitive towns.

“The federal government is initiating additional measures to address these and other security challenges, alleviate the consequences of these attacks and forestall reoccurrence.

“The senate resolution itemised in your letter will be taken into consideration and I’m instructing all relevant MDAs to factor them in their work.

“Earlier on December 19 to be precise, while receiving the report of the committee that was set up to review the technical and administrative structure of the NIA, I underscored the need to review the entire national security architecture as I promised in my inaugural address on the 29th May 2015.

“Action is being initiated and I expect to receive maximum cooperation from the senate in line with paragraph three of the senate resolutions.”

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