Army arrests 9 militia men linked to Benue govt

It’s not true – Ortom

Buhari relocates IG

Speak up, Southern senators tell elder statesmen

Suspected herdsmen kill 2 cops in Logo

By Musa Bologi, Abuja and Daniel Agbo, Makurdi

Troops of 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, stationed in Takum, Taraba state, have arrested nine members of a ‘sponsored’ armed militia known as Civilian JTF at Arufu, a boundary town between Taraba and Benue states.

A security source in Abuja, told Blueprint that at the time of arrest, five of them were armed with fully loaded AK-45 rifles.

The source said, shortly after their apprehension, a reinforcement of CJTF came to prevent troops from transporting the suspects to the Battalion Headquarters. “When the soldiers stood their ground, the armed militia’s reinforcement withdrew.

During the preliminary investigation, the arrested CJTF claimed that the weapons were issued to them by Benue State Government through one Alhaji Aliyu Tashaku. “The suspects also confi rmed that they were 60 in number in their own camp located at Gbeyi, Benue state.

However, further investigation revealed that they were more than 1,000 at the camp, while over 700 of them bear arms,” our reporter further gathered.

The source further informed that the suspects claimed they were on the payroll of the state government, with N15, 000.00 as their monthly takehome. “They said state government still owes them close to five months salary.

They further revealed that they were trained by selected ex-service men assembled from all over Benue state,” the source further added.

Benue doesn’t own armed militia – CPS

Debunking the claims, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Terver Akase, said the state governor has never recruited any militia group, and armed them since assuming office.

According to him, the state government believes in disarming and not arming youths. He stated that the governor has been widely recognised for his disarmament policy, which brought the amnesty programme, leading to the recovery of about 700 arms and ammunition with over 800 youths across the state, laying down their weapons.

“It is on record that the present administration inherited the State Civilian Joint Task Force from the previous government but later proscribed it. “Following the enactment of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law in Benue state last year, the government set up Livestock Guards to help in implementation of the law.

“The Livestock Guards are not armed personnel. Their job is to ensure compliance with the regulation of ranches establishment and prohibition of open grazing of animals in the state,” he clarified. While saying the state government is comfortable using the conventional security agencies to protect its people, the CPS said “even in the face of renewed killing of innocent people by herdsmen in Logo and Guma Local Government Areas, Governor Ortom did not let the people resort to self help.

“The governor acted swiftly to get the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the deployment of more troops to troubled parts of the state.” He reassured residents and other Nigerians that government was committed to bringing the killings in the state to an end, and to restoring peace to the affected areas.

IGP redeployed

Meanwhile, President Buhari has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to immediately move to Benue state to restore law and order.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CSP Jimoh Ibrahim, yesterday said, “in compliance with the Presidential directives, the IGP is moving into Benue state with additional five (5) units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) making a total of 10 units of PMF deployed in the state, which is in addition to other police formations on the ground in the state before the crisis.

” The statement said more units of the police Special Forces, counterterrorism units, and conventional policemen were already being deployed to the state “to comply in totality with the presidential order.”

It added that the aerial surveillance by police helicopters would continue, while the police mobile force personnel, police special forces and conventional police personnel, the counter terrorism unit, police explosive ordinance department as well as the special police joint intelligence and investigation teams already deployed to the state, would carry on un-relentlessly with the patrols and crime prevention activities in the affected areas, to sustain the normalcy that have been restored in the state.

Jimoh warned that the Force would not hesitate to deal decisively with trouble makers, any group or individuals for conduct likely to instigate the escalation of the crisis. The full weight of the law, he stresses, would be applied on anyone arrested for being responsible for the mayhem in the affected areas in the state.

Step up effort to end killings – Tor Tiv

Also, the Tor Tiv and Chairman, Benue state council of traditional rulers, Prof James Ayatse, has appealed to the federal government and security agencies to step up efforts towards stopping the killings in the state.

The Tor Tiv, who stated this yesterday in an interview with newsmen at his palace in Gboko, lamented that despite the presence of security in the flash points, his people were still being killed. He said though the federal government has made some efforts, more still needed to be done.

While appealing to President Buhari to personally visit the state, he said, “at a time like this, the people of the state need consolation of the president, even if he comes and spends only 10 minutes they will be consoled.”

 Speak out, Uzodimma urges politicians

Amidst all this, Chairman of the Southern Senators Forum (SSF), Senator Hope Uzodimma has urged elder statesmen to always speak up on burning national issues to save the nation’s thriving democracy from From page 1 collapse.

He said as the major beneficiaries of democratic process in Nigeria; it is expedient on all politicians irrespective of their political leanings, to speak out objectively on issues threatening the survival of Nigeria’s nationhood to keep the country’s democracy alive. Uzodimma spoke yesterday in Abuja against the backdrop of the tension generated over the gruesome killings in some Benue communities.

The lawmakers urged security agencies to step up patrol in the affected communities and the border towns of the state to nip in the bud a recurrence of the dastardly act. Uzodimma, who also chairs Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff s, commended President Buhari for directing the IGP to promptly relocate to the hotspot and take charge.

According to him, though the attack was painful, commentaries on the issue should be moderated to avoid the escalation of the already tensed situation and reprisal attacks.

“It is regrettable that in this country, everything is heaped on the doors of the President whereas there are statutory organs and institutions that are responsible to handle every situation.

When a person in this country has an issue with the judiciary or security agencies, the President is accused of having a hand in it. We must move away from this to make progress as a nation”, he cautioned.

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