The Senate has directed its Committee on Defence to investigate the attack on communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area Plateau State.

A federal lawmaker from Plateau State, Sen. Victor Lar, during plenary noted that gunmen, dressed in military uniform, stormed five villages in Plateau State over the weekend and killed about 50 people and injured over 100.

“Their operations tended to imply that they are not genuine Nigerian army personnel because they used machetes to hack down people, they shot at and killed women and children.

“They killed uniformed policemen and civil defence personnel; they burnt down every house within reach and they used petrol to burn the bodies of the victims that they killed”, he said.

Sen. Lar said as a result of the attack, nearly 20, 000 people have been displaced and are now seeking refuge in Lantang North and South Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

Mr. Lar described the attack as a crime against humanity, adding that it has violated the provisions of the Geneva Convention.

“The essence of making these explanation is that when our brothers and sisters in the North-East were under the heavy yoke of insurgency and there were operations that tended to imply that it was either the army or Boko Haram, the Senate took the wise decision of listening and sending a committee to investigate and report it,” he said.

“I plead with my colleagues to consider that the lives of Nigerians are at stake and it may happen in any other districts.

“I plead that this Senate shows the usual understanding it has been showing in attending to the plight of members of my constituency.”

The Senate asked the Committee on Defence to contact the military high command to verify the identity of those who carried out the attack.