Benue Assembly Directs Probe Of Threat To Lawmaker’s Life

Benue State House of Assembly has directed the security adviser to the governor, Joseph Har, to investigate the alleged threat to the life of the member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Katsina Ala East Constituency, Hon Jonathan Agbidyeh.

The decision of the house followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Agbidyeh during a plenary session presided over by the speaker Aondona Dajoh.

He alleged that the caretaker chairman of Katsina Ala local government area, Justin Shaku, had conspired with one Mike Tughga who is the commander of the Benue State Volunteer Guards in Katsina-Ala and another member, Jethro Tor-Tsaper, to frame him up with the intention of killing him.

The lawmaker told the House that he had received several phone calls from his constituents that Shaku has held several meetings with the Volunteer Guards, also known as Cutlass Bearers, that anytime he comes to Katsina Ala, he should be killed.

According to him, his sin is that he has been against the extrajudicial killing of his constituents, destruction and illegal seizure of people’s properties by Tughga and Tsaper and for rejecting the candidacy of Justin Shaku for the position of caretaker chairman.

The legislator who pleaded with his colleagues to intervene, said if nothing is done urgently, he would not be able to carry out his legislative functions in his constituency.

He accused Shaku, Tughga and Tsaper of allegedly writing “terrible petitions” against him and doctoring a video clip that claimed he (Agbidyeh) contracted armed bandits to assassinate his kinsman, brother and close friend, Dr. Moses Ukeyima, a lecturer with the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi that led to his recent arrest and detention by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Agbidyeh further told the House that after his release from DSS custody, Shaku relentlessly wrote more damaging security report against him and submitted them to all security agencies in Makurdi and Abuja.

“He also publicly threatened me during a stakeholders’ meeting in Government House, Makurdi that ‘If I become the chairman, you will see.’ He said this before many other persons who in turn disclosed it to me.

“I wish to inform this Honourable House that the DSS, being professionals, did their discreet investigation and discovered that the video was of doubtful authenticity and I was released unconditionally.

“Yet, Shaku is not relenting in his bid to defame me. He has come up with new plots after my release from the DSS custody, on the 9th of April, 2024, he personally shared an old video clip and titled it: ‘Watch Hon. Agbidyeh Confesses at DSS’ to many individuals and platforms, including a WhatsApp group called Shitile Shaya Progressive Forum, and claimed that it was what transpired at the DSS during interrogation.

“Mr. Speaker and my dear colleagues, as it is, without the intervention of this Honourable House, I will not be able to carry out my legislative functions in the very constituency I represent. I cannot even hold a town-hall meeting to interact with my people, as any meeting held with my constituents is tagged by Shaku and the Volunteer Guards as a meeting with criminals,” the lawmaker cried out.

The House supported the motion, saying the allegations were criminal, and in its resolution, directed the security adviser to investigate the matter and report to the House within two weeks in order to save the life of their colleague and his constituents.