By Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz, Regional Correspondent
Chairman, Senate Committee on Power Gabriel Suswam has condemned the killing of repentant militia leader in Benue, Terwase Agwaza, also known as Gana, by men of the Nigerian Army in Gboko.
Suswam, who represents Benue North East, in a statement he issued, said Terwase’s killing after turning a new leaf from crime and criminality by soldiers was counterproductive to peace already returning to the state.
According to him, a situation where a criminal has surrendered for a new way of life after persuasion from elders and leaders in the community and later killed by some state actors endangers the healing process as “this is time to heal and not to kill.”
The statement reads “The events of Sept. 8, in my senatorial district where repentant criminals who had surrendered after extensive persuasions were singled out and killed extra-judicially leaves a sour taste and has opened a gaping wound that requires all efforts to heal.
“It is no secret that my senatorial district has been traumatised and the people terrorised by activities of criminal gangs led by Mr. Terwase Agwaza, alias Gana, for many years.
“The consequence of this endless terrorism has been a steady decline of economic and social activities leaving a once prosperous people pauperised.
“Markets no longer attract traders, schools are closed and farmlands abandoned. Politics in the area has become war with the uncontrolled proliferation of dangerous weapons.
“No responsible leader will idly standby and watch his community become a theatre of war and a gangster’s paradise.
“It is with this solution mindset that traditional rulers, clergymen and elders of the area decided to utilise means of constructive engagement and dialogue to ensure that the youth of the area do not become tools for the destruction of that society.
“The Benue Government along with the security agencies have long desired for a return to normalcy, peace, prosperity and security of the area.
“We were all excited to see the dreaded Gana come out of hiding to the warm embrace of our Traditional Rulers, Clerics and political leaders at a public function at the Akume Atongo Stadium in Katsina Ala.
“Our joy was multiplied when we saw him along with his militia surrender arms and publicly renounce a life of crime. Our revered King extracted a pledge from him never to turn his kingdom into a wasteland.”
Suswam further said that “I was totally dumbfounded to learn that while Gana was on his way to Makurdi the state capital to present himself to the state governor who was waiting, his long convoy that included political leaders, traditional rulers, clergymen and security agencies was ambushed by allegedly armed soldiers and he was isolated and taken away.”
“I have been consistent in condemning the reign of terror he unleashed on his community.
“I cannot in good conscience as a lawyer of over three decades and a senior parliamentarian accept cold-blooded extra-judicial murder of an unarmed person as a solution to our security problems.
“An independent judicial commission of inquiry will unravel facts of the matter to serve as lessons for the future.”
Startling Revelations
More facts on Wednesday emerged about how the notorious militia leader, Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana, was killed by the military on Tuesday despite embracing amnesty.
A community leader, who confided told Punch in Makurdi, the state capital, that Gana was in a government convoy when he was dragged out of a car by soldiers at a checkpoint in Gbitse, near Yandev roundabout in the Gboko Local Government Area of the state.
The community leader said the militia leader was thrown into a military vehicle and driven away.
The Commander of Operation Ayem A Kpatuma, Major General Ali Gadzama, had on Tuesday told Channels Television that Gana was killed in a gun battle with soldiers.
But it was gathered that the militia leader had between 11am and 2pm on Tuesday at the Katsina-Ala Stadium in the presence of prominent indigenes of the Sankera District of the state, including the First Class Chief of the area, Abu Shuluwa, embraced amnesty.
The Sankera zone consisting of Logo, Katsina-Ala and Ukum local government areas has been the worst hit by the activities of Gana and his gang since 2009.
The militia leader and others had in the state Government House in 2015 surrendered no fewer than 200 guns including AK-47 rifles.
But the peace move was thwarted after the killing of the Senior Special Assistant to the state Governor on Security, Denen Igbane, in 2016. After the incident, the militia leader went back to the bush.
The community leader, who confided in The PUNCH, said the latest peace move efforts were initiated by some prominent indigenes, who urged Gana to drop arms and embrace peace.
The source said, “He (Gana) actually came out because of the assurance given by the prominent indigenes and traditional rulers and he was not armed when he was dragged out of the car and taken away to be killed.
“The militia leader sat in-between the Chairman of the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Alfred Atera, and a priest in one of the cars in the government convoy.”
According to the source, the convoy was stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint in Gbitse on its way to Makurdi.
He stated, “As soon as we got to the military checkpoint, some soldiers who spotted Gana had to pull down the priest, drag Gana into their waiting vehicle and zoom off.”
Tension as fears of reprisal grip Benue communities
Meanwhile, there were fears in the Sankera zone on Wednesday as residents thought that members of Gana’s gang could carry out attacks on the area.
A trader in Katsina-Ala, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We heard that many of the repentant militias who saw what happened along the road turned back and they might likely return to the trenches.
“These people may see it as betrayal and want to unleash terror on the people in this area.”
On his part, the state Governor, Samuel Ortom, expressed shock over the arrest and killing of Gana by soldiers.
Military has put lives of leaders who persuaded Gana at risk – Rep
Also, a member of the House of Representatives for the Logo, Katsina-Ala and Ukum Constituency, Richard Gbande, expressed concern about the killing of Gana.
Gbande said what transpired on Tuesday amounted to betrayal of trust on the side of the people of Sankera.
He stated, “The whole thing was like betrayal of trust because the whole traditional rulers in the area were the ones who mediated and made it possible for him (Gana) to embrace the amnesty.
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