The presidential aspirant of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof Iyorwuese Hagher, has said his Shitile community in Benue State was bombed six times in one year by the Air Force.
Shitile community is in Katsina Ala Local Government Area in Benue Northeast Senatorial District.
The area had been held hostage by armed militia groups.
A combined team of the police, soldiers and Air Force personnel had carried out several operations in the area to fish out the hoodlums.
Wanted militia leader, Terwase Akwaza (aka Gana), hails from Shitile community.
In a communique issued at the end of Shitile Supreme Council (SSC) meeting, Hagher, a former Minister of State for Power, announced a ban on criminal activities in Shitile land with immediately effects.
The communique also advised criminal gangs to release their captives immediately.
It warned that there should be no rival banditry, killings, robbing and kidnapping in the community again.
Hagher, who is also the leader of Shitile and their spokesman, regretted that the activities of armed militia in the community had crippled economic activities, like farming and trading, in the area.
He urged the government to set up a Truth and Reconciliation committee to listen to those who have suffered injustice.
According to him, the military option for peace in Sankera should cease immediately, while the use of strafing bombing in Shitile community is an international crime.
It was learnt that insecurity in Sankera worsened when Gana, who has embraced amnesty, fell out with Governor Samuel Ortom’s administration.
The militant leader was accused of killing a governor’s aide and a bounty of N10 million was placed on his head.
Since then, killings and kidnapping in Logo, Ukum and Katsina Ala by various armed groups have degenerated.
Hagher’s security measure is said to be another attempt to tackle insecurity through community effort.
0 Comments