Insecurity: Gov Ishaku wants military to free suspects

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has ýappealed to the Federal Government to release two young men from the state allegedly arrested over the insecurity in the state.

The two suspects were arrested, detained and moved to Abuja by the military.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday in Abuja, the governor claimed that the military had taken over police job in the state.

“In the southern part of Taraba, military has been withdrawn, but that is not only the case, we are still being harassed by the herdsmen militia.

“The military has taken over the job of the police and bombarding people’s houses at 2:am, arresting youths and locking them up. Two of these youths were missing and we understand that they are with the military and being transferred to the Abuja military headquarters.

“I asked for the reason. Nobody has confronted me with the reason. All I was told was that they committed crime. Which crime nobody has told me about as the Chief Executive and Chief Security Officer of the state.

“Nobody has reported this to me. The police are not aware of this. The military have written to the Takum Local Government Chairman for him to report to them immediately to be arrested.

“I don’t know what is happening. The armed forces are not protecting the people against the killer herdsmen but now going around arresting the youths in the town. This is what led to the demonstration of the women last week. Now the situation is getting really bad.

“I am now calling on the Federal Government ýto call on the military to bring back those boys that were arrested and allow the police to do their job if indeed, they are criminals and to insist that the military do what they are asked to do and that is to defend us; they shouldn’t allow us to be vulnerable,” the governor saidý.