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Powerful Forces Responsible For Benue Attacks -Army …Hoodlums Invade Gombe, Destroy Radio Station
The military has said that certain powerful forces in Benue State were responsible for recent attacks on communities in the state.
The Force Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Maj-Gen Adeyemi Yekini, made the statement at a press briefing yesterday in Makurdi.
Yekini also said such individuals were instigating violence as could be seen in the recent attacks on communities preceding major elections in the country.
“It is obvious that some forces are instigating violence in Benue; it is not a coincidence that there was an attack on Agatu community a week to the presidential election and now there is another attack on Gwer West a week to the governorship election,” he said.
OPWS was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 to tackle cases of armed banditry on communities in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
The force commander said the military outfit had intensified operations along Loko-Agatu, Kwande and other border communities in Benue to prevent recurrence of the attacks.
He condemned the preference to cattle over human lives by those who retaliated because of cattle theft.
Flt Officer Mohammed Abubakar, the Sector Commander, OPWS in Gwer West Local Government Area, said some people were using military uniforms to rustle cattle.
“Those people who did this are suspected to be Livestock Guards, according to our local sources,” he said.
Abubakar said seven corpses had already been recovered.
According to him, the council chairman of Gwer West, Mr Francis Ayaga and the Divisional Police Officer of the local government area have already submitted seven names of the suspects to him.
Meanwhile, Some hoodlums suspected to be political thugs have attacked Lafiyawo community in Gombe State, destroying a private radio station, Progress FM, located along Gombe Airport Road.
Our source, who visited the scene, yesterday, reports that eight shops were burnt down in the community.
The source also confirmed that two vehicles were also set ablaze in Jekadafari Quarters of the state capital.
When contacted, yesterday, the Gombe State Police Commissioner (CP), Mr Bello Makwashi, confirmed the incident.
The commissioner, who confirmed this through the command’s spokesperson, Mary Malum, said investigation into the attack, which occurred on Saturday evening, was still ongoing.
A resident of the community, Malam Nuhu Usman told newsmen that the attackers started stoning them on their way back from airport before setting eight shops on fire.
According to him, many people sustained various degrees of injury, while one of them is currently hospitalised.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the radio station, Alhaji Ibrahim Biu, has alleged that the attack was caused by some thugs attached to Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.
“Yesterday evening, thugs following the governor’s convoy from the airport attacked our office with weapons.
“They were throwing stones and making attempts to gain entrance into the compound.
“`So, I quickly called the commissioner of police and the director of State Security Service who responded swiftly.
“In the attack, one of our security men was wounded. It was very scary but we thank the security for their swift response,” he said.
However, the Director of Media of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council in the state, Mr Dahiru Kera said the thugs that attacked the community and the radio station were not from PDP.
Kera said the thugs had initially attacked the governor’s convoy on his way from the airport, adding that two cars in the entourage were burnt.
He disclosed that the development was why the governor cancelled a rally organised to welcome him back to the state.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.
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