Senate urges police to investigate robbery attack in Otukpo, Benue

Sen. Abba Moro (PDP Benue)
Sen. Abba Moro (PDP Benue)

The Senate has urged the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Oct. 20 robbery attack on four banks in Otukpo, Benue.

This was sequel to a point of order by Sen. Abba Moro (PDP Benue) during plenary on Tuesday.

Presenting the motion, Moro expressed concerns that suspected robbers numbering over 50 on vehicles and motorcycles invaded the community beating multiple security check points without being apprehended.

“About eight innocent Nigerians including four police officers lost their lives in the attacks,” he said.

Moro said that the robbers spent over an hour with little or no resistance, holding the entire town hostage and carted away millions of naira as well as police ammunition.

The lawmaker blamed the robbery on lack of intelligence report from security agencies including the Department of States Service (DSS).

“The government of the day must sit up and brace for the challenge,” he said.

Moro said that the call for the establishment of local police formations was not the way out of the current security challenges.

“Most of the state governments cannot pay civil servants. Therefore, adding more burden on them is not the way to go in my opinion,” he said.