Benue lobbying bandits to stop killings, drop arms – Commissioner

• The recent supremacy battle between rival bandit groups resulted in the loss of at least 25 lives between last Friday and Monday
  

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On Wednesday, the Benue State Government revealed ongoing efforts to build trust with bandits, aiming to encourage their transition from the forests to embrace peace. Joseph Har, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, shared this during discussions on security challenges in the Sankera area, particularly Ukum Local Government Area.

Ukum LGA has witnessed a surge in banditry, with frequent incidents of killings, kidnappings, and harm to innocent citizens.

The recent supremacy battle between rival bandit groups resulted in the loss of at least 25 lives between last Friday and Monday. Notably, Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Matthew Aboh, and former local government chairman, Washima Erukaa, were recently abducted.

While the commissioner was released from kidnappers’ den after spending 11 days in captivity, the 81-year-old former LG chairman died in the hands of his abductors.

Har, who expressed deep concern about the rise in insecurity in the Ukum LGA, said the killing of a bandit kingpin, Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana, by the military in September 2020 had worsened the situation.

Har said, “What we are doing now is to build back the confidence in these guys (bandits). We are asking them to come out. We are talking to them; we are engaging them. We have told them that what they are doing is destroying their community; it’s destroying our economy, it’s making the society look ugly and it’s giving the state a bad image.

“So, we are going to build back the confidence in them, using the traditional institutions. In a very short while, you will see results.

“We are talking to the bandits and asking them to calm down. I will refer you to the ‘Gana’ (Terwase Akwaza) era which was erroneously done.

“So, these bandits are having doubts but we have a governor who is sincere and honest and willing to extend hands of fellowship to everyone.

“The fact that things were done wrongly yesterday (before now), does not mean that things will be continually done wrongly. We are telling them to trust this government as well as security agencies, who are committed to a peaceful non-kinetic approach.”