Furore over killing of Benue’s most wanted criminal
Ortom expresses shock as residents divided Ex-governor Suswam demands investigation
Mixed reactions have continued to trail the manner in which military authorities arrested and killed a notorious gangster in Benue State, Terwase Akwaza, popularly known as Gana even as there were apprehensions among residents of Sankera axis of the state.
Gana was reportedly arrested, taken away and killed by soldiers after the government convoy in which he was travelling into Makurdi was intercepted in Gboko.
A cross-section of people who spoke to our correspondent in Makurdi declined their names mentioned for fear of being linked with the saga
One respondent, a legal practitioner, said what the Army did was very wrong, alleging that if what was in the public domain was true, the death of Gana could be attributed to extrajudicial killing.
But a prominent politician in the state thinks that the killing was “good riddance to bad rubbish” irrespective of the circumstances of the death, saying that peace would now return to the area.
A youth leader, however, blamed the governor, elders, and top politicians from Gana's home area as being responsible for Gana’s death, saying they betrayed him.
"No one is saying that Gana was good, he actually committed so much atrocity such that traditional rulers in his area were not spared of his venom. He constituted authority to himself and carried on like a demigod.
"But, why wait until he surrendered himself for peace to reign before seizing and killing him?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom had expressed shock about the killing of Gana while briefing journalists in Makurdi on the state of his administration’s second amnesty programme which covers only Sankera geopolitical zone.
"Shortly after we left the briefing yesterday (Tuesday night), there was a press statement from the military special forces in Doma, Nasarawa State indicating that Gana had been killed," he said.
Ortom added that he was still awaiting briefing from the Commander, Operation Ayem A Kpatuma in Doma, Major General Moundhey Gadzama Ali who promised he was coming to brief him on their operation.
The governor stated that five repentant youths from Ukum Local Government Area who were among those arrested by the Nigerian Army were released and were conveyed to the Government House in Makurdi by the Council Chairman of Ukum, Hon. Stephen Ayua to be part of the amnesty offer.
He maintained that until Ali briefs him on the circumstances, which led to the killing of Gana, he would not jump into conclusion.
'He (Ali) said there was a shootout. I don't want to join issues with security agencies, but I have a responsibility to protect lives and property," the governor added.
Ortom, therefore, urged the people of Sankera to remain calm as he was still investigating circumstances surrounding the arrest and killing of Gana before taking action on the matter, stressing that the amnesty for repentant outlaws was not truncated.
Also yesterday, the Senator representing Benue Northeast in the Senate, Gabriel Suswam, called for an investigation into the killing of the gangster.
Senator Suswam, in a statement he personally signed, said the claim that Gana was killed in a gunfight needs further explanation.
He said an independent judicial commission of inquiry will unravel facts of the matter to serve as a lesson for the future.
"By this Gestapo style execution, we have missed an opportunity to learn vital lessons about the structure of crime in the area," he said.