The Senate on Saturday, summoned heads of major security agencies in the country to brief it on the Christmas Eve attacks in Plateau State, which led to the death of over 100 people.
The attacks in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi, two local government areas in the North-Central state, also left many villagers, including women and children, wounded, while the homes of the victims were razed by suspected bandits.
Those summoned were the National Security Adviser; the Chief of Army Staff; the Director-General, Department of State Services; the Inspector-General of Police; and the DG, Nigeria Intelligence Agency.
The Senate passed the resolution following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Sen. Diiket Plang ((Plateau-Central) at the session, which was presided over by the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.
The security chiefs are to meet with the Senate at a closed session on a date to be announced.
They are to explain how their personnel failed to halt the attacks, in spite of the presence of several conventional and community security outfits in the localities.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi State), while contributing to the debate, said he visited Plateau State immediately when he heard of the attacks to commiserate with the government and the people.
Ningi told his colleagues that he was amazed by what he heard from both the state governor, Mr Caleb Mutfwang, and other sources, about how the invaders easily moved into the villages, killing and maiming their victims.
“The question to ask is what happened to intelligence gathering? What happened to intelligence sharing among the security agencies?” he stated.
Ningi added that he was told the attackers were escorted into Bokkos by some locals, who had also kept weapons for them in identified locations.
According to him, over 1,500 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are now scattered in parts of the state as a result of the attacks.
A former governor of the state, Senator Simon Lalong, also spoke of the failure of the military and other security agencies to prevent the attacks, despite having a presence in the areas where the attacks took place
