Benue Community Wants Army Out, Alleges Inhumane Treatments

The president general of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, Chief Iorbee Ihagh, has called for the withdrawal of the Nigerian Army from Turan community in Kwande local government area of Benue State, citing what he described as inhumane treatments and killing of innocent young persons in the area.

Chief Ihagh, who spoke with our correspondent in a telephone interview, said he joined the call by the Ter Kwande Engr. Timothy who, during a meeting with members of the Turan community, and the bereaved family members of the deceased students and mourners appealed to the federal government to withdraw the Army in the area and replace them with Mobile Police.

The president general alleged that instead of protecting the lives and properties of the community the personnel are extorting, raping, manhandling and killing of their loved ones especially the young persons without provocation.

He attributed the killings of the students and mourners to the alleged refusal of the bereaved members of the family of the deceased traditional ruler to give the N600, 000 fuel money they had asked the family to pay before they will escort them to bury their father.

“The soldiers asked the bereaved family to pay N600,000 and what the family could afford at that time was N400,000 and the personnel refused to collect and out of frustration, the family members decided to summon courage and took their father to Nzaav and buried him. It was on their way back that they Army opened fire on them killing two mourners and four students who were returning from school.

“Our enemies are killing us, officers sent to protect us are also killing us; we don’t need these army of a people in our communities again. Enough is enough; we are not safe with them. The federal government should replace them with Mopol. If it is not extortion, it will be killing or raping our children and wives, we are overwhelmed,” he said.

The police public relations officer in the state, Udeme Edet who confirmed the killings in a statement however said the students were not deliberately killed by the Army.

“It is not killing of students, the military team were coming back from their patrol and on their way, sighted some hoodlums with firearms on a bike. While chasing them, the hoodlums opened fire on the military and the military responded to them,” she said.

She noted that in the process of the gun battle, stray bullets hit three students of Government Science Secondary School Jato-Aka and on arrival at the hospital, sadly, one of the students was confirmed dead by the doctor, while the two others are responding to treatment, adding that investigation is ongoing.

Recall that the youth leader of Mbaikyor Council ward in Turan