The Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar had recently told Nigerians and the world in general that thousands of policemen have been sent to Benue State to keep the peace following the incessant invasion of villages by suspected Fulani herdsmen which have claimed many lives and millions rendered homeless. In this piece however, SUNDAY OGLI writes that the internally displaced persons, in their various camps, especially in the rural areas have cried out that they are yet to feel the impact of the said policemen deployed to keep the peace in the area.
In spite of the claim of deployment of thousands of special squads of police officers to Benue State by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar to halt further killing of farmers in the state and the destruction of their properties, the attacks have continued unabated.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG (Operations) Michael Duokomor who headed the special force to the state had confirmed that more policemen were posted to the state and added that everything was going to be done to protect lives and property in the state.
“The country and the police have the wherewithal to combat crime in the country. I am in Benue with high powered delegates. I assure you that the issues of insecurity in Benue can and would be addressed.
“We want to save the lives of natives and the invaders but where there is need for force, minimum force will be used to dislodge the invaders. I therefore call for the cooperation of the press so that the police can succeed. If there are killings going on, the killings will be stopped,” Duokomor had assured.
However, despite the assurances above, last Tuesday, the residents of Agena and Mbasada in Mbalom council ward of Gwer local government area of the state woke up to meet the invading herdsmen who as usual attacked them with guns and other dangerous weapons, killing over 20 of them.
“We woke as early as 6am and observed that the entire village has been surrounded by armed herdsmen. They were shooting at us as we scampered for safety. We do not know where they came from or what we have done to warrant this attack,” an eye witness said.
A day before the Gwer massacre, the insurgents had attacked Gbajimba, headquarters of Guma local government area of the state, killing more than 55 people. Also, an unknown number of residents of the area were believed to have drowned at the adjourning River Benue at Tyulen in the course of escaping from the invaders.
Even in Agatu where the situation was believed to have become calm, six persons lost their lives last Tuesday to the activities of suspected invaders who chose the market day of a popular Agatu community, Oweto to attack them.
All these took place after the alleged deployment of the officers from Abuja. Reliable sources who confided in this reporter also alleged that the police may have decided not to stick out their neck for anybody since they claim they cannot match the fire power of the invaders who many believe come with sophisticated weapons.
A resident of Adeke, who after abandoning his residence and rented a two-room apartment in Makurdi town, said the police officers sent to keep surveillance at Adeke/Adaka are staying very far from the troubled spot, exposing the people to the invaders.
“These people, they are not protecting us, they are protecting their own people, the mobile policemen. They said they will not come near us so that the Fulani will kill them because their guns are not up to that of the Fulani,” the resident said.
However, the state police image maker, Superintendent of Police, Daniel Ezeala insists that the deployment of the special squad from Abuja had greatly facilitated the patrol of the flash points in the state.
“They are there, they are there, even on the day the governor travelled and all that, the people there joined the governor’s convoy. They are there as am speaking with you now.
“From the time they came, I don’t think there has been trouble anywhere in the state. They have been posted to all those areas; the trouble spots,” Ezeala had insisted against obvious developments on the ground.
Of similar worry to the people is the seeming lull on the decision of the Nigerian Air Force which commenced aerial surveillance of Makurdi and its environs, particularly the flash points last week with Augusta 109 helicopter.
The Air Officer Commanding, AOC, Tactical Air Command, TAC, Air Vice Marshal, Umar Omeiza who disclosed the exercise to newsmen had stated that the aim of the aerial surveillance was to afford security operatives the opportunity of having comprehensive view of the environment in order to mobilise and effectively secure the lives and property of Benue people.
“We don’t want the problem to become very massive like what we have today in the North-Eastern part of the country before we act. That is why we have brought the Augusta 109 helicopter for the aerial surveillance of Makurdi and its environs.
But the reverse has become the case as there seem to have been no further surveillance of the state capital and its environs, including the riverine areas apart from the day the exercise was flagged off.
“How can they say they are carrying out surveillance when we have not seen their helicopter again since last week? Who is fooling who? It appears there is a conspiracy somewhere, otherwise how can a state that have high concentration of Army, Air force and even Navy suffer this kind of fate?” wondered a resident of Makurdi who expressed his discontentment on the situation in the state.
Similarly, state chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP and public affairs commentator, Engr Baba Agan said the presence of over 6,000 police officers in the state is a rumour as he cannot see them anywhere.
On his part, socio critic and former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alh Abubakar Tsav urged the police to avail the people their phone numbers so that they can easily contact them in the event of an attack.
In the time being, there is general fear of the unknown, as survivors of communities attacked by the invaders continue to troop to Makurdi for refuge while the management of the Federal Medical Centre at the state capital has evacuated patients and equipment from the permanent site.
The Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Matthias Oyigeya told newsmen it was imperative to evacuate them in order to safeguard the lives of the patients, more so as the permanent site has no perimeter fence.
In spite of the ‘confusion’, the state government has called on youths who have lost their loved ones to the invading herdsmen not to take laws into their hands as that will not resolve the prevailing security situation in the state.
“Government is fully aware of the pains and frustrations being experienced by the youths and indeed the entire people of the state from the death of their loved ones, loss of valuable property and the displacement of thousands of people from their homesteads as a result of the attacks by the Fulani herdsmen militia.
“However, government wishes to state in clear terms that acts of lawlessness will not in any way help in the resolution of the security situation or cushion the pains being experienced by victims but would rather exacerbate the crisis and complicate the on-going efforts to restore peace,” Lawani said.
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