Senate Orders Probe on Benue, Kwara’s Killings, as Joint Committee Set to Visit Attack Areas
By Raphael Ekpang
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, October, 28, 2025, mandated its joint committee’s delegation to uncover the root causes of the killings in the affected areas in the two north central states of Nigeria. However, the joint committee will also submit recommendations to the plenary for urgent security intervention.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Mallam-Madori Abdulhamid during an interaction with journalists shortly after the closed door session.
The Senate has launched an investigative assessment into recent violent attacks in Benue and Kwara States, mandating a joint delegation of lawmakers to visit affected communities and interface with victims, security agencies, and state authorities.
Senator Abdulhamid who represents Jigawa North-East in the 10th Senate added that their mission is a direct directive from the Senate during plenary to uncover the root causes of the killings and recommend urgent security intervention.
He explained that four committees, Defence, Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence—held a joint session to assess the security situation and agreed on a fact-finding mission to the crisis zones.
“The Senate mandated us to go and assess what happened in Plateau and Kwara. In the case of Kwara, the Army is not involved, so three committees, Defence, Police, and National Security and Intelligence, will handle that. We agreed to visit the victims, sympathise with affected communities, examine what really happened and report back to the Senate,” Abdulhamid said.
He added that three members from each committee, along with their secretariat, will embark on the investigative visit to Benue and Kwara States.
The delegation will also meet with community leaders and state governments to develop strategies to prevent further violence.
On whether relief materials or government aid would be part of their intervention, Abdulhamid said the Senate would communicate further actions after the fact-finding visit but noted, “Definitely there must be support for victims.”
He also dismissed fears that the recent change in military leadership could affect the outcome of the probe.
“The change in service chiefs will not affect anything. This is a constitutional duty. We are doing this on behalf of Nigerians, and security agencies are answerable to the Senate,” he said.
