Senate Asks Telecoms Firms To Install Masts In Attack-Prone Benue Communities

The Nigerian Senate has urged telecommunications companies to install communication masts in rural
communities in Benue State that have been repeatedly affected by violent attacks, saying improved
network coverage would help residents make emergency distress calls during crises.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Emmanuel Udende, senator
representing Benue North-East, who raised concerns over escalating attacks by armed groups in Kwande Local Government Area and surrounding communities.

Presenting the motion during plenary, Udende said recent coordinated assaults on villages and local
markets had left more than 20 people dead and displaced many families.
He recalled that on February 5, 2026, gunmen invaded a settlement in the area, killing several residents,
injuring others and destroying homes and property.
According to the lawmaker, nearly 50 people were reportedly killed in attacks that occurred in February,
while several residents remain missing as communities continue to search for their relatives.
He added that fresh violence was recorded in early March, including a March 10 attack that killed about
11 people and caused panic among residents already affected by previous assaults.

Udende said poor communication infrastructure has been one of the major challenges facing affected
communities, noting that weak network coverage prevents residents from contacting security agencies
quickly during emergencies.
He argued that improved telecommunications infrastructure would significantly enhance response time
and help protect lives in vulnerable rural areas.
Following deliberations, the Senate also called on the federal government to establish a military base
along the Ikyurav-Ya–Ukusu axis in Kwande Local Government Area to strengthen security presence and
deter further attacks.

Lawmakers further urged security agencies to intensify patrols and surveillance across the affected
communities.
The upper chamber additionally asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide
relief materials and humanitarian support to families displaced by the violence in Benue.
Before adopting the motion, senators observed a one-minute silence in honour of victims killed in
recent attacks in communities including Abande, Awu, Asinuba and Awapacho.

Lawmakers said improving both security deployment and telecommunications infrastructure is
necessary to strengthen early-warning systems and enable faster emergency responses in rural
communities affected by persistent insecurity.

By Oyinkansola Shittu.

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