We’ve pacified the troubled areas —Benue CP Makama

Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bashir Makama, spoke to JOHNSON BABAJIDE on the latest killings in some communities in two local government areas of the state. Excerpts:

 

What is the situation like in the troubled communities in Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue State?

The situation is calm now because more policemen have been deployed, including five committed teams of mobile and conventional policemen to the scenes in Guma and Logo government areas.

 

How many suspects are in your custody?

Yes, eight persons have been arrested so far; six from Guma Local Government Area and two from Logo Local Government Area. Also proper and additional deployments were made to the troubled areas and its environs for monitoring in order to forestall further occurrence and to restore confidence in the minds of the people. Meanwhile, the situation has been brought under control and investigation on the killings continues.

 

There was this report that the security agency was aware of the attack, but nothing was done to avert the crisis…

Where did you get your report from?

 

Governor Samuel Ortom made allusion to that during his visit to the teaching hospital to see the victims.

There is no way the governor can say that. This is because we had two Security Council meetings, just this week and he was happy with the manner the security chiefs reacted promptly to the crisis. In fact, as am talking to you now, we are going to Nasarawa State with the governor over the crisis.

 

Apart from the governor, an amalgam of a socio-cultural group in the state, which consists of Mzough U Tiv, Idoma National Forum and On’yi Igede, had persistently raised the alarm that herdsmen had converged on the Cameroon border to attack Benue and it was alleged that there was no counter information from the police. Could this be true?

Where did they get that report from? Was it created by them and which area were they speaking from? When they received the report what steps did they take? You should ask them these questions.