Akure – Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, of Ondo State has declared that his administration will acquire arms to protect citizens of the state against life-threatening marauders and organized crime.
The governor made the declaration on Thursday in reaction to killing of 14 people Wednesday night in two separate attacks by suspected armed herdsmen in Mchia and Mou communities in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
This is even as anxiety has heightened at the Ekwegbe axis of Nsukka-Enugu Bypass Road in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, as suspected armed herdsmen on Wednesday evening, blocked the road, shooting sporadically with AK-47 rifles, in search of prey
Meanwhile, the Paramount Ruler of Atyap Chiefdom, Agwatyap, Sir Dominic Yahaya, said yesterday that failure by government to adopt and integrate local, traditional hunters and vigilantes conversant with the hideouts of terrorists and bandits has worsened insecurity in Southern Kaduna, resulting in massive killings.
Akeredolu in the statement said “No to one Nigeria, two systems. We Believe In One Nigeria, But We Cannot Have One Country, Two Systems,’’ which he personally signed, in Akure,
The governor was reacting to a video that had gone viral, showing the equivalent of the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun Corps) in Katsina, obtaining the approval of the Federal Government to bear arms.
Consequently, he said his administration will not watch while its citizens are being terrorized and murdered with impunity.
“We will defend our people; what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Ondo State Government, under the doctrine of necessity, has decided to fulfill its legal, constitutional and moral duty to the citizens of the state by acquiring arms to protect them.
“This is more so, given that the bandits have an unchecked access to sophisticated weapons.
” The video making the rounds showing the equivalent of the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun Corps) in Katsina obtaining the approval of the Federal Government to bear arms is fraught with great dangers.
“Denying Amotekun the urgently needed rights to legitimately bear arms is a repudiation of the basis of true federalism which we have been clamoring for.
“That Katsina was able to arm its state security force, with the display of AK-47, means we are pursuing one country, two systems’ solution to the national question.
“If the Katsina situation is conferring advantages on some, in the face of commonly-faced existential threats, it means that our unitary policing system, which has failed, is a deliberate method of subjugation which must be challenged.
“The Independence agreement was based on a democratic arrangement to have a federal state and devolved internal security mechanics.
“We must go back to that agreement. Denying Amotekun the right to bear arms exposes the South-West to life-threatening marauders and organized crime. It is also a deliberate destruction of our agricultural sector. It is an existential threat,” he said.
On the present security situation in Benue State, no fewer than 14 people were on Wednesday night murdered in two separate attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on Mchia and Mou communities in Logo Local Government Area of the state.
The attack also left close to 30 persons with serious injuries, while many others are missing or unaccounted for. It was gathered from a leader in the area, Chief Joseph Anawa, that the invaders stormed the communities at about 10pm.
He said: “It is a sad day for us here in Logo. Armed herdsmen attacked Mchia, a settlement along Abeda-Anyiin road, just three kilometres to Anyiin, the Logo LGA headquarters, at about 10pm.
“They killed 12 people there and shot so many that are in the hospital at the moment. One cannot tell of their present condition because they were severely wounded.
“The attackers did not stop there, they went to Mou village where they shot so many people and killed two on the spot. Many are also missing and unaccounted for.
“These attacks were unprovoked. At Mchia village, the people actually saw the herdsmen and heard them speaking their language.
“They came with sophisticated weapons from Arufu settlement in Wukari LGA of Taraba State which shares the same border with our communities.
“The attack was totally unprovoked; there was no conflict between them and the attacked communities. They just want to chase us away from our ancestral homes and take over, so they can have free access to graze on our farms.
“The attacked communities are all connected and close to Taraba State. In fact, it is just a tarred road that serves as demarcation between the communities in Benue and those in Taraba State; That is what the colonial masters left for us.
“We actually need security in that place, particularly at Chembe settlement. That is the point from which they cross into our communities. If we have a security post there, they will not be able to cross over to unleash mayhem on the people. That is the immediate solution to this repeated attacks.”
Reacting, Logo Local Government Council Chairman, Mrs. Salome Tor, who lamented that the attack was unprovoked, said: “They went from one house to the other and slaughtered innocent people.
“Women and children were gruesomely murdered in the attack. It’s pathetic and traumatic for everyone, we have not slept since last night (Wednesday) I am shocked beyond words. I am working with the security agencies on the matter. Actually, there is a detachment of the 72 Battalion of the Army stationed close to the attacked communities.
“When I got wind of the attack, I called the military and the Agro Rangers though it was raining heavily, but before they mobilised to the area, the invaders had unleashed mayhem on the people and retreated. They killed a total of 14 persons and badly wounded over 25 others who have been moved to hospitals for treatment.”
Confirming the attack, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba, retd, also disclosed that the troops of Operation Whirlstroke, OPWS, the joint military/security operation, repelled a similar attack on Ortese and Nkohol communities in Guma LGA where many of the invaders were killed.
“They, however, burnt five motorcycles belonging to the military personnel which they parked while chasing them on foot,’’he said.
Contacted, the Force Commander of OPWS, Maj. Gen. Kevin Aligbe, who also confirmed the attack, said the troops had also received intelligence about a planned attack by the terrorists on Ortese, Nkohol and two other locations in Guma LGA on Tuesday night.
He said: “We quickly deployed in the night and reinforced the places Wednesday morning. My troops noticed where they were hibernating in the bush and went after them. They made contacts with them; they saw them carrying their casualties and running into the bush.
“In the course of coming back, one of our soldiers slumped, he was not shot. He was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead. We are still maintaining the trend in that axis and that is why you have not heard about any attack.
“The pattern of settlement of the people too is not helping us. But our troops are managing the situation in Logo.”
Also, the Benue State Police Commissioner, Wale Abass, who equally confirmed the attacks, said the police had recorded 10 deaths. (Vanguard)
