“The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardworking of the hearts of men”, a popular philosopher, John Owen, wrote. Truly, the hearts of men are indeed hardened, wicked. Though, not all, the wicked ones are deadly.
Banditry and wanton killing of innocent persons across the globe has worsened recently. In Nigeria, it is devastating. The waste of human lives has assumed an alarming proportion with the advent of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents in the North Eastern Nigeria over a decade ago. Killing of farmers by Fulani herdsmen over grazing areas and kidnapping all over the country have become a daily occurrence.
Unfortunately, the unwholesome activities of banditry across the country have attained a monumental proportion with diverse negative effects on the general well being of the people in the affected areas.
In Benue State, Katsina Ala is the headquarters of Benue North Senatorial District, where Senator Gabriel Suswam, the current senator representing the district hails from. Suswam had represented the Sankara Federal Constituency within the same zone at the House of Representatives for eight years between 1999-2007 before he contested and won election twice as the governor of the state in 2007-2015.
Between January and May this year alone, there has been alarming reports from the Katsina Ala axis, which is just a section of Benue State, that several attacks had been carried out on homes in different communities and public facilities, such as local council offices, markets, schools and police stations.
Reports indicated that the attacks had left no fewer than 200 people dead with several others with sustaining life-threatening injuries. Property worth millions of naira have also been destroyed.
The attackers branded as bandits and local militia are not deterred by the heavy presence of the joint military operations in the area. They are reported to have, on several occasions, engaged the military in heavy gun duel with casualties most times recorded on both sides.
Before now, a notorious gang leader, Terwase Akwaza aka Gana, had reign in Benue for over 15 years. Gana ‘and his gang unleash terror on communities in the area and almost crippled both economic and social activities in the once bubbling area.
They killed, miamed, destroyed properties of perceived enemies at will, sometimes under the watch of security operatives unchallenged. They soon became available and willing force for use by some top politicians in the area.
In 2016, Governor Samuel Ortom who succeeded Suswam envisaged the ravaging danger posed by activities of the gang leader, declared a carrot and stick approach to the bandits as a way of finding an end to their threat.
The governor requested all those in possession of illegal arms in the state to submit the weapons and surrender or be faced with the wrath of the law. They did. He thereafter granted amnesty to Gana and asked him to call out his men from the bushes to also surrender.
The peace deal worked somehow, but after a while, Gana was accused of another security breach as he was fingered in the gruesome murder of Denen Igbana,Ortom’s security adviser, in his Makurdi home.
That truncated the peace deal and Gana again, mobilised his men back to the trenches. The government later placed a N10 million bounty on his head. For over four years, security operatives were on his trail but failed to track him. A joint military operation code named, Operation While stroke, combed and sacked major hide outs in search of Gana fruitlessly.
It was however reported that some religious leaders and traditional rulers initiated another peace move and persuaded Gana to come out for the second and last amnesty that never took place.
He acceded to their request but was reportedly ambushed by soldiers on his way to the Government House, Makurdi, where state officials and other top security officers were waiting for his surrender. Gana was killed. But some of his men escaped and have since regrouped to unleash mayhem.
In fact, since then, there has been no peace in Katsina Ala and neighbouring local government areas (Logo and Ukum), as well as parts of Taraba state. Worst hit by the ongoing carnage in the area are some prominent personalities within the axis suspected of having a hand in the killing of their leader. Thus, the Sankara flank in Benue State has become more insecure and unsafe.
Early this year, the official residence of the Katsina Ala local government chairman came under heavy attack and no fewer that four persons including Police officers on duty were killed. The chairman escaped to tell the story while the gangsters claimed responsibility for the attack.
Months later, Dr. Terkula Suswam, elder brother to Senator Suswam was shot and killed with his aide in his residence at Anyiin in Logo local government. Gana’s men were prime suspects. Several other prominent persons from the area were gunned down by persons suspected to be late Gana boys.
Only two weeks ago, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Chris Degar, also from Katsina Ala area was allegedly traced by the same gang to Jos, Plateau State, and shot to death. Curiously, he became the second security adviser to Governor Ortom to be gruesomely murdered in unclear circumstances.
For prominent Benue citizens particularly those who hail from the Sankara axis, fear of the unknown has become the beginning of wisdom. Among several others, a First Class monarch in the area, His Royal Highness, Tor Sankara Abu King Shuluwa, has since deserted his palace and relocated to Makurdi, the state capital for fear of attack.
Shuluwa was at a time reported to have had disagreement with some prominent politicians in the area who were allegedly patronizing the armed gang to challenge their opponents. The Katsina-Ala council chairman and his Ukum counterpart, are reported to be functioning from Makurdi since their areas had been “captured” by militiamen.
Indeed, it was reported that over 100 persons were killed in a coordinated bloody attack on four Council Wards of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, LGA, by militia gangs comprising armed herdsmen and loyalists of the late militia leader, Terwase Agwaza, in a single operation.
Apart from Gana’s men, armed Fulani herdsmen who have also turned the entire state to a killing field where blood, tears and sorrow flow freely.
Sources said between April and May this year, the gangsters had invaded and sacked several communities in Yooyo, Utange, Mbatura/Mberev and Mbayongo Council Wards in the Katsina-Ala.
“Since then, communities in the four Council Wards have come under severe attacks by armed herdsmen who are supported by a local militia gang made up of loyalists of late Terwase Agwaza”, a source said.
The worsening security situation in the area had in February forced the state government to enforce a ban on motorcycles and commercial taxis as a strategy to further check their operations. Four months after the ban, the situation has rather worsened.
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