Brutality: BPA writes Kwara gov, demands justice, compensation for victims

The Baruten Patriotic Agenda (BPA) has written an open letter to the Kwara state governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, demanding for justice, end to brutality and compensation for the victims of military killings at th Ilesha-Baruba in Baruten local government area of the state.

According to the open letter, the governor’s silence “over the brutal killings of three young men and injuring others by the security operatives of border drill at Ilesha-Baruba on Friday, January 08, 2021, hitherto, creating insinuations that the lives of these young men do not matter to your government.”

The letter dated 18th May, 2021, a copy made available to Blueprint Wednesday in Abuja, were signed by the BPA’s President Mallam Adamu Sidi Oumar, Vice President Com Musa Idris Buko, director, research and strrategy, Dr. Abdulhamid Ibrahim Sabikpai, Dr. Abdulkareem Alhassan as member, legal adviser, Barr. Usman Aliyu Banara, Ibn Mahmud Haruna Geo, EsqMember, Comr. Jibril Aliyu (Seko) as secretary, Barr. Karimat Suleiman, Director, Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, Almajiri Umar Farouq Idris, Barr. Usman Shehu Usman and Mallam Zakari Baba Yusuf. 

In the letter, the BPA gave the governor seven days ultimatum “to regain the people’s confidence and trust confided in you through the ballots at the 2019 general elections. 

“It is with disappointing and heavy heart that the Baruten Patriotic Agenda, BPA, writes this letter as your unflinching supporter who had continued to appreciate, support or advice, where necessary, your administration since inception in 2019.

“Your Excellency sir, please permit us to set aside the protocols and go straight to the matters that informed this letter. BPA is constrained to deploy this strategy as the only available means of drawing Your Excellency’s attention.

“There’s no gainsaying to the fact that all is not well with Your Excellency’s silence over the brutal killings of 3 young men and injuring others by the security operatives of border drill at Ilesha-Baruba on Friday, January 08, 2021, hitherto, creating insinuations that the lives of these young men do not matter to your government.

“BPA has never been sheepish or afraid of her unflinching support for the success of your administration since 2019 till date.

“BPA’s unflinching support to your administration has always been based on her conviction about Your Excellency’s ability, openness and competence in the managing the affairs of the state where law and order triumph, individual freedom is guaranteed and social and economic well-being of every Kwaran, irrespective of tribe, religion or local government of origin, is ensured.

“Your Excellency sir, that the support of BPA lies with your administration to succeed and her confidence remains unshaken, however, the group, in recent times, became worried about Your Excellency’s deliberate reticence over the heartless and unprofessional killings and injuring of some youths of Kwara North i.e youths of Ilesha-Baruba in Baruten LGA of the state.

“Your Excellency sir, your apparent silence over this ugly incidence is betraying the trust of the people of the community and Barubibu from all over the world owing to the concerned you have shown to some victims of similar shootings in Ilorin during the 2019 campaign. 

“Your Excellency sir, we are using this medium (public letter) as last resort hoping that you will wake up to the matter and deploy all the necessary arsenals to ensure justice and adequate compensation to the victims.”

The BPA declared that it will seek justice elsewhere or by other legal means on failure to act within the 7 days ultimatum.