The Senate of Nigeria has strongly condemned the killing of 56 people in Niger State, north central Nigeria, describing the attack as brutal and unacceptable.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance presented on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, during an emergency sitting of the Senate in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The motion was moved by Sani Musa, the senator representing Niger East Senatorial District in the Niger State.
Lawmakers were told that more than 56 residents were killed in Konkoso village and the nearby Pissa community. Several women and children were also abducted during the attacks.
Sani Musa explained that the affected communities are located near strategic forest areas that connect Niger State with neighbouring states. According to him, these forest corridors have been exploited by armed groups for cross border movements and coordinated criminal operations.
He warned that Nigeria’s North Central region has experienced increasing attacks on rural settlements and farmlands in recent months. These attacks, he said, are not only claiming lives but also threatening food security, weakening local economies, and undermining broader national stability.
The senator commended Bola Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the country’s security agencies for ongoing counterterrorism operations. He acknowledged what he described as the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces and other security personnel confronting violent extremism across Nigeria.
However, he raised concerns that repeated attacks on remote communities reveal gaps in intelligence gathering, coordination among security agencies, rapid response capacity, and sustained territorial presence in vulnerable areas.
He further noted that the abduction of women and children has worsened the humanitarian crisis in the affected communities. According to him, families are facing deep psychological trauma, while local stability has been severely disrupted.
Okay News reports that lawmakers observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims and expressed condolences to their families, as well as to the government and people of Niger State.
Seconding the motion, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Monguno, called for increased funding for Nigeria’s security agencies.
“In the course of the ongoing budget defence, we discovered that there were zero capital budget releases to security agencies.
“So, in line with the president’s declaration of a state of emergency on security, prominence should be given to security agencies,” Monguno said.
Lawmakers urged the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to the affected local government areas to strengthen rapid response efforts and prevent further violence.
The Senate also directed its Committees on Defence, Army, Air Force, Police Affairs, and National Security to conduct a joint assessment of the situation and report back within four weeks.
The attack highlights ongoing security challenges in parts of north central Nigeria, where rural communities remain vulnerable to armed groups operating from forested regions. The Senate’s resolutions are expected to put additional pressure on the federal government of Nigeria to strengthen intelligence coordination and increase operational resources for security forces in affected areas.
