‘How soldiers invaded our settlements, killed 15’

Keana, headquarters of Keana local government area of Nasarawa State was still a ghost town when Weekly Trust visited the area yesterday. Residents who deserted the town following the killing of 15 herdsmen in a settlement about five kilometers away are yet to return to their homes a day later. Few people were seen on […]

Keana, headquarters of Keana local government area of Nasarawa State was still a ghost town when Weekly Trust visited the area yesterday. Residents who deserted the town following the killing of 15 herdsmen in a settlement about five kilometers away are yet to return to their homes a day later. Few people were seen on the streets, while business premises remained shut. 
Witnesses told Weekly Trust that 10 Toyota Hilux vans arrived the town from Abuja on a military operation between 7:00 and 8:00 pm on Wednesday, heavily armed. The source said the team, which was initially led by a Major, had a stopover in Lafia, the state capital, where he handed to a Captain who had been in several operations in Keana. According to witnesses, members of the team joined their colleagues who had been on ground in the town until the following morning when the team from Abuja stormed the Ardo Mohammed Sodangi axis of the Fulani settlement on Keana Giza road.
According to Isah Sodangi, one of the Ardo’s sons, they were observing the third day prayers of his brother who died of a snake bite, when they noticed several vehicles loaded with military men heading their way. “When I saw them, I made to go and call my father who was earlier invited by Osana of Keana, Dr. Emmanuel Elayo to his palace, then there were gunshots and I dove behind a tree and watched as our people were rounded up and killed,” he explained.
Corroborating, Ardo  Sodangi said he was with Osana when one of his sons called to inform him of the development and that before he could get home, the operation has been done. “My people were dragged around and shot in cold blood. I learnt that when they got to the camp, they first asked after me and my people told them that I was not around and they started beating them, before shooting them,” he explained.
Weekly Trust learnt that 10 people were shot at the settlement. There were blood stains around the settlement when our reporter visited the area and two herdsmen were also intercepted near the Federal Government Girls College by the solders and killed, while three died at the hospital. There panic at the college as students who have rounded up their exams ran terrified.
Those killed include Alhaji Laminde, Alh Yakubu, Ardo Bakinshiwa, Abubakar Idris, Abdullahi Mudo, Yakubu Abdullahi, Alhaji Barde, Mallam Risku, Alhaji Jidda, Malam Abdulkarim, Aliyu Ardo, Sale Bello, Audi Inusa, Ishaq Hari and Ibrahim Haruna.
Weekly Trust learnt that fears heightened in the town when 10 bodies killed earlier in the settlement were moved in a truck to the Osana of Keana’s palace. Some residents hurried out of the town on seeing the corpses. The Osana, during a condolence visit by Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, said he was saddened by the development. He said he was preparing for traditional council meeting when some people rushed in to intimate him about the situation. He added that few seconds after, 10 bodies were brought to the palace in truck and they had to move the corpses to a hospital along with the three others who sustained injuries, despite attempts by the military operatives to stop them.
He said he was not aware of the arrival of the troops for the operation. “Nobody told me as a paramount ruler that troops were on the way for such an operation. The herdsmen have co-existed with the people of the area for a long time.”
The paramount ruler also expressed displeasure at the way in which his subjects were treated. “They will ask people whether they are Alago or Fulani and I want to know, what does that mean?”  He said when he asked the leader of the troops, the officer told him that the operation was led by his superior and that he cannot intervene. He added that all calls to head of security agencies in the state did not yield result.
When contacted yesterday by Weekly Trust for an update, Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade in a text message said the incident is being investigated. “Please note that no credible report has been received on this incident as alleged. We know only of an encounter with some gang members, after which some weapons were recovered in that area. It will however be investigated to confirm if the said attack on those being referred to as unarmed civilians was actually carried out by soldiers.”
The Osana was in tears when he called to intimate the governor on what was going on. He said that he was more disturbed with the killing of the father of Ardo, who was the heart and soul of peace among various ethnic groups in the area.
Residents who spoke to Weekly Trust were also unanimous that Ardo Sodangi and family were peace-loving. “We know every one of them and we’ve never had any problem with them. In fact, they have settled here for over 20 years, so it’s disheartening that the military will target them. The military personnel know where the insurgents are; they are definitely not in Keana,” Sulieman Abubakar said.
Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura on his part also said there are no insurgents in Keana. He also said he was not aware of the operation. He said as the chief security officer of the state he should have been informed of the presence of the troops, but nobody told him. He added that it was unfortunate that it’s all happening a few days after a peace meeting initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, where all stakeholders agreed to ensure peace. “The casualties of the attacks were herdsmen resident in Keana and not insurgents as widely reported,” the governor said, referring to recent media reports.
National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Sale Bayari, said the killings might affect the ongoing reconciliation between farmers and herdsmen in 10 states. He told Weekly Trust: “On Monday, we began a reconciliation tour of 10 states. We had visited Benue and Nasarawa states, but before we got to the third state, Taraba, on Thursday, this happened. We thought we had achieved a ceasefire only for this military attack to draw us back. This incident will affect the ongoing peace process.”