….As police stops APC ‘executive interface’ from holding
State Government (BNSG) has tackled suspended chairman of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Austin Agada and a chieftain of the party, Dr. Mathias Byuan over alleged use of hired gunmen to disrupt peace in the state.
Recall that Dr. Mathias Byuan was recently inaugurated as the Executive Director, Finance and Accounts of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Abuja.
The State Government insisted that with the gradual exit of armed herdsmen out of Benue, which has reduced the tension that was raised due to the influx of the herders, the act by the APC chieftains was capable of heating the polity and stands condemned.
In a press statement signed on Saturday by Sir Kula Tersoo, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and made available to journalists, Kula alleged that the gunmen hired by Agada and Byuan invaded the state with hired armed men who went round Makurdi metropolis on Friday, shooting sporadically and instilling fear in residents of the state capital.
Prior to the allegations the APC had planned to hold a post inaugural meeting, with the Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, FHA, Abuja, Dr. Byuan at the APC, Secretariat in Makurdi on Friday, tagged ‘Executive Interface’.
However, the APC was advised against holding the meeting due to the suspension placed on all political meetings and gatherings in the state, by the State Government, which cited issues of insecurity as reason for the ban.
As part of measures to enforce the ban, and avert a breakdown of law and order, the Benue State Command of the Nigeria Police wrote the APC and advised the party to suspend the said meeting and all other forms of political meetings till further notice. The letter was signed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Samuel Gimba on behalf of the State Commissioner of Police.
Subsequently, the police and other sister agencies were deployed to seal off the road leading to the APC state secretariat, situated on JS Tarka road to ensure that the political meeting did not hold.
In the statement, Kula explained that Governor Alia ordered the ban so as to ensure that the volatile situation in the state does not escalate and posed further security threats to the people of Benue.
The CPS said, “We have received intelligence reports that the suspended state chairman of the APC, Comrade Austin Agada and the Executive Director, Finance and Accounts at FHA, Mr. Mathias Byuan have hired armed men into Benue State to shatter the relative peace in Benue State.
“This is against the directive of the governor that all political gatherings in the state be suspended due to the volatile security situation in the state.
“But shockingly, the armed men who accompanied Agada and Byuan reportedly made their way into the heart of the town in a convoy and started shooting sporadically when they got to Tito Gate, on Kashim Ibrahim road, Makurdi.
“The duo led the armed men round parts of the old GRA and were headed to property number 75, J S Tarka way, said to be owned by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume when the Nigerian police arrived and engaged them before they disappeared.
“Recall that Governor Hyacinth Alia had banned all political and social gatherings in the state till further notice. These directives were later publicly communicated to the public through the Commissioner of Police, Benue State command who approved enforcement and equally asked the organizers to call off their meetings.
“The government is worried that some people are still in the habit of insisting to derail the relative peace in the state and hinder development that Governor Alia is bringing home.
“The security atmosphere in Benue State is gradually returning to calm after it was charged recently following the unprecedented influx of armed herders who were brought in by enemies of the state to destabilize the government.
“We urge Benue people to be security conscious and immediately report activities of these fifth columnists as we call on security agencies to arrest these merchants of crisis and bring them to book to serve as a deterrent to others”, the CPS advised.
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