The Northern Senators Forum has called on security agencies to investigate the October 23 attack that led to wanton destruction of lives and property in the Binari community of Karim-Lamido Local Government Council of Taraba State.
The senators, who also stressed the need for security operatives to identify those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice, called for the immediate establishment of a Forward Operating Base and intensified intelligence-led security operations in the council.
Leader of the forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, made the call in a condolence message issued on Monday, in which he condemned the killings and expressed sympathy with the Taraba State Government, residents of the affected community and families of the victims.
Yar’Adua described the attack as barbaric, saying the forum received the news of the killings with shock and shared in the grief of the bereaved families.
The senator called on the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, DSS and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to strengthen security operations in Karim-Lamido and communities along the River Benue corridor.
He specifically advocated the establishment of a Forward Operating Base and the deployment of intelligence-led patrols along the Kompany-Asusar route to improve security and prevent further attacks.
The forum stressed the need for coordinated security operations to track down the perpetrators, arrest them and ensure their prosecution.
It also called on the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and well-meaning individuals to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to residents affected by the violence.
The forum said relief support was needed for victims and families affected by the attack, alongside measures to address the immediate humanitarian challenges arising from the incident.
The attack, which reportedly claimed the lives of worshippers, vigilantes, women and children shortly after Juma’at prayers, has renewed calls for stronger security measures in vulnerable communities across the state.
The Northern Senators Forum urged relevant authorities to take decisive action to protect residents, prevent further violence and ensure that those responsible for the killings face justice.
Northern senators demands justice for victims of Taraba attack