The Senate on Wednesday observed a minute silence for Faye Mooney, the British aid worker killed in Kajuru Castle, a recreational location in Kaduna State last week.
The action followed a point of order raised by Shehu Sani (Kaduna-PRP) who described the loss as unfortunate.
The attack left Ms Mooney, a communications and learning specialist for an international non-governmental organisation, Mercy Corps; Matthew Oguche, a Nigerian training assistant with the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), dead; and three others kidnapped.
Mr Sani said the north is currently ‘under siege’ as kidnapping and killings have become the order of the day.
He condemned the killing of Ms Mooney while asking his colleagues to observe a minute silence to honour the deceased.
Having come under Order 43, the issue was not open to discussion, a choice many of the lawmakers frowned at.
The deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, urged the lawmakers to create a window to allow them take the issue on another legislative day. He added that the incident may have grave ‘diplomatic implication’ for the country and so should not be handled with levity.
The prayer was adopted after a voice.
Jukun/Tiv clashes.
Similarly, the Senate urged the executive to provide more security to border towns of Taraba and Benue that have been at each other’s throat recently.
The call followed a motion by Emmanuel Bwacha who noted that the last clash left many locals dead.
At least 22 persons were reportedly feared killed in fresh attacks between ethnic Jukun and Tiv communities of Wukari local government area in southern Taraba State on Friday.
Mr Bwacha said the recent spike in the clashes was as a result of infiltration of criminal elements who capitalise on the mayhem.
“There has been no crisis for about a decade until a sudden invasion of these areas by insurgents from the north east which is known and called in the Nigerian parlance herdsmen.
“The Senate is worried that some criminal elements on both sides are bent on taking advantage of this peace to perpetrate violence so as to promote their criminal enterprise.
“The sad event preceding the Passover feast is a case study in which lives and properties were lost. These criminals promote this enterprise so that when there is no peace, they capitalise on this and engage in heinous crimes like kidnapping,” he said.
In his contribution, Barnabas Gemade, said some external forces are worsening the crisis.
“This is a clear indication that it is not just those two communities that are at war but terrorists are finding every means to capitalise.”
The lawmakers urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to victims.
They also urged the Police to hasten the completion of mobile barracks in border towns of Akwana and Anyim in Taraba and Benue respectively.
In additional prayer, the senators urged the executive to provide enough security for the troubled communities.
