The killing of a Chinese national and three others in Alogani village of Nasarawa Eggon Local Government of Nasarawa state, is one crime too many, reports MOSES JOHN who visited the community
Monday, November 28, 2016, was like any other day for the workers of Cider Bay Mining Company in Alonani village, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa state, when they left home for the day job.
Four of these workers, Qin Hongmou, Sargent Bitrus Yakubu, Abubakar Hassan Shehu and Suleiman Husseini, however, met their untimely death while returning from their mining site in a company truck at about 4pm, when unknown assailants shot them from different directions.
A police escort, two others and a Chinese were killed in the ambush while another Chinese who survived with bullet wounds was rushed to the hospital but has since been discharged.
When Blueprint visited Alogani community, the people of the area were seen in clusters discussing the incident, blaming some individuals, who reportedly due to greed had taken the law into their hands.
Some of them who spoke to our correspondent accused one Musa Ayas, who is said not to be an indigene of the Wagebu clan and reportedly one of the owners of the land on which the mining site is located, of instigating some youths against Cedar Bay Company.
The people who maintained that they had no issues with the Managing Director of the Mining Company, Humphery Udegbe, alleged that the land on which the company is located does not belong to the people of Diawen, where Musa Ayas comes from, but to the Wugebu people, just as the described Ayas as a greedy person.
A community leader who did not want his name in print told our correspondent that the community had no disagreement with the Cedar Bay Mining Company, because an agreement was about to be signed to undertake community development projects for the benefit of the people.
He re-echoed the accusation that some individuals incited the youths to cause trouble in a bid to frustrate projects that would bring development in the community.
According to him, these individuals claimed the road the company constructed linking the community with the major road, passed through their farmland and had approached the Managing Director of the mining company for settlement.
“We don’t have any problem with the Managing Director of the Mining Company, Mr. Humphrey Udegbe, because as a licence miner, he has approached the community and all the necessary consultation with all stakeholders were made. We are even at the point of signing an agreement that he would provide basic amenities in the community, engage our youths and so on.
“The point here is that, some individuals because of greed approached the mining company for settlement, claiming that the road they constructed passed through their farmland and the man told them he had agreement with the community not with individuals and they threatened to deal with him.”
On his part, the District Head of Alogani, Chief Mathew Ena, declined to comment on the development when contacted by our correspondent, however, redirected Blueprint to the Palace of Aren Eggon, Dr. Bala Angbazo, who is the paramount ruler of the Eggons.
When contacted the Aren Eggon who spoke through his son, Dr. James Angbazo, said the royal father had condemned the attack and urged the police and other security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding the dastardly act as well as bring the culprits to book.
He explained that: “I was told by the District Head of the community of some individuals who are claiming the road linking the community and the company passed through their farmland. But in our investigation, we discovered the miner is licenced by federal government and that issue was put to rest.
“We want the authority to bring those behind this dastardly act to book, no matter how highly placed they are. If you recall the Aren Eggon recently suspended the activities of Youths Movement in the community.”
He said the Eggons are peace loving people and denied the insinuation that they are behind the murder, adding that those who perpetrated the act are criminals who should be fished out without delay.
The Aren Eggon further stressed the need for peaceful coexistence between the people of the state, adding that it would bring about the needed progress, peace and development in the area.
He added that the Aren Eggon is known as a man of peace and he has warned youths in the area against violent, just as he pointed out that the Eggon Youths Movement (EYM) is not in existence because the royal father had suspended activities of the movement.
On the allegation that Ombatse are behind the killing, the royal father said there is nothing of such in the community and called on the security agencies to fish out criminals and trouble makers to serve as a deterrent to others.
Also, speaking also Blueprint, the Managing Director of Cedar Bay Mining Company, Mr. Humphrey Udegbe, said he was yet to recover from the shock of losing four staff of the company in one fell swoop.
Recounting the incident, he said: “That faithful day, around 4pm, I got a phone call from one of my staff that some of our staff who were returning from site had been ambushed by some gun men and they came under barrage of bullets.
“The person that called was on a motorcycle ahead of the truck because it was faster in a rough road. When he heard gun shots behind, he turned back and saw that the truck was being attacked and he ran to safety then put the call through to me calling for assistance.”
The company’s boss appealed to security agencies to do all within its power to bring those behind the criminal act to justice.
On whether those who threaten him could be responsible for the act, he said: “It is true that some individuals threaten me, but I can’t say more on that since the matter is before the police.”
According to him: “We have even started community development because the law, the Mining Act 2007 as amended provides for community development projects. We have a covenant with the community, we have agreed on projects that would be done for them.”
Speaking to Blueprint, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state, Idrisu Kennedy, confirmed the incident, noting that some arrests had been made in connection with the murder.
He said those arrested include: Wakili Alogani, Isiaka Oko, Yahuza Yahaha and others whose names were not disclosed, just efforts were being intensified to arrest the prime suspects, Musa Ayas, and two others popularly known as Ido and Sparrow.
The spokesman said the command was doing all within the law to fish out the suspected murderer, just as he warned residents of the state, especially youths, to desist from crime as the wrath of the law would always catch up with them.
“I was told by the District Head of the community of some individuals who are claiming the road linking the community and the company passed through their farmland. But in our investigation, we discovered the miner is licenced by federal government and that issue was put to rest
