From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, PSP, has described as untrue the misinformation circulating in the media that some members of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards (BSCPG) were killed last week.
The stories alleged that the violent protests in Naka, Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, last Tuesday, where the LG secretariat, a palace, and other properties were burnt, were a result of the killing of CPG members.
Har told newsmen that they also saw the viral video supposedly made by the local government council chairman and the Ter Nagi, alleging that members of the CPG were killed and that this led to the rampage by youths in Naka.
He said, “This is not true. No member of the CPG was killed, so if a group decided, for political reasons or criminal intent, to go and burn down a local government secretariat and other places, it is condemnable.
“While we sympathise with those affected, I want to state here that they didn’t do that because CPG members were killed. No CPG member was killed. Everyone is intact. No member of the CPG is allowed to go for an attack except with operational orders. No such orders were given to anybody, and no attack was carried out by the CPG, let alone that they were killed.”
He explained that the CPG is concerned with the protection of lives and property and will work in conjunction with conventional security forces.
According to him, the mandate of the CPG as first responders is to raise a flag, and conventional security, in synergy, will help to neutralise or defeat the enemy.
While he appealed to members of the public to have confidence in what the government is doing, the Security Adviser further called for a change of attitude, especially regarding misleading people, urging the general public to verify information from relevant authorities before spreading it.
Also speaking, the Commander of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, Capt. Ayuma Ajobi (Rtd), said, “Concerning the video that is going viral about what happened on Tuesday at Naka, especially regarding the alleged killing of CPG members, I want to make it categorically clear that it is not true.
“Whoever is peddling such rumours or information is misinformed because they didn’t consult us as the authority to brief them adequately.
“I am the accounting officer of my men, and I know the number of men under my command. I know them by their names. They are under my authority, and anytime they are going out for an operation, they are given operational orders.
“The people mentioned are not part of us, and they went for the operation on their own. None of my men followed them on that operation.
“So, I want to refute the allegation that those killed were our men. Those that died are Terfa Agbe, Ikyange Ayua, and somebody called Ushiri. I have cross-checked my nominal roll, the list of people under my command, and they do not exist. They are not my men; I don’t know them. All I can say is that they are local youths of that community,” he explained.
On his part, the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Hon. Godwin Malu, said all the messages in the said video are not correct because, based on the last check on the CPG in Gwer West, CPG members were neither deployed nor authorised to go anywhere in connection with what happened in Naka.
“So, we want to state categorically that none of our men was deployed or killed in Naka during that incident,” Malu said.