Inside Gboko’s war against cultists

In a bid to reduce criminality and check the activities of cultists in Gboko, the traditional headquarters of Tiv-speaking people in Benue State, a group of youths, under the auspices of Jemgbagh Youth Organisation, have adopted some measures against suspected individuals in the town.  For example, young people with the bushy hairstyle popularly known as […]

In a bid to reduce criminality and check the activities of cultists in Gboko, the traditional headquarters of Tiv-speaking people in Benue State, a group of youths, under the auspices of Jemgbagh Youth Organisation, have adopted some measures against suspected individuals in the town.  For example, young people with the bushy hairstyle popularly known as Afro may have to think twice before moving freely in the town. Those keeping long beards and wearing saggy trousers are also in for trouble when seen at public places as the organisation has declared war against “bad boys.’’

The action of the group, which started seven days ago, has, however, generated more controversy than accolades in Gboko town.

A member of the group, who simply gave his name as Aondona, also known as Nana, told our correspondent on phone that Jemgbagh comprised of youths from three local government areas – Gboko, Tarka and Buruku.

He said they were not out against cultists only but other bad boys who have formed a formidable evil force in markets, inflicting hardship on innocent traders and buyers as they extort money and other valuables from them.

“These bad boys would appear in rough clothing. They are known with a particular hairstyle such as dreadlocks. And they go about stealing people’s things. They will intimidate people in the market, collect their handsets and other valuables.

“Two weeks ago, we caught some of them and handed over to a security agency for the law to take its cause. But we were surprised that the court released them, so last Sunday, we began this current exercise. We know the faces of these boys. We caught some of them and paraded in the market for other people to recognise them; then we held them down and shaved their hairstyles,” he narrated.

Nana added that the exercise was not meant to witch hunt law abiding citizens as they already know the “bad boys.’’ He, however, noted that they retraced their steps after some human right activists began to condemn their action.

“Some people said the exercise was illegal, so we have pulled out. But we were doing it for peace to reign in our town,” he explained. He also claimed that their action had the blessing of some traditional leaders in the area.

Our correspondent learnt that the youths went from markets to parks and other public places, armed with scissors to cut the hairstyles of suspected criminals.

The leader of the group, Comrade Akor Andiir, told some newsmen that the group’s action was propelled by the increasing activities of cultists in the area. He said his organisation was committed to restoring sanity and peace to the town.

Andiir, who spoke through the organisation’s public relations officer, Jacob Aper Gbande, said their action followed an intelligent report that most young people in the area who belonged to one cult group or another, maintained the Afro hairstyle as a means of identification.

He said that some young men also sag their trousers while ladies wear what they call bum-shorts as a means of identifications to cult groups.

As the organisation vowed to continue to fish out criminal elements in the town, they have, however, exempted celebrities, such as film actors, footballers, musicians and those with medical history.

Asked whether any of their victims has ever threatened legal actions against the organisation, Andiir said they had never received such complaint. He said their action had the backing of the Gboko Local Government Traditional Council and other major stakeholders in the area.

But speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, a victim of the movement, Terhemba Abraham, condemned the action. He said his late father was known for his Afro hairstyle; hence he has maintained the same hairstyle from his childhood.

Abraham stressed that his choice of hairstyle had nothing to do with criminality as alleged by the group, which held him down and forcefully cut his hair.

Also speaking with our correspondent, some parents in Gboko, who didn’t want their names mentioned, said they were happy with the development because their children kept the Afro hairstyle against their wishes. They commended the group and urged them to rid the society of the menace of cultists.

But some other people are not comfortable with the development. One of such persons, a human rights activist, Ukan Ukrugh, argued that the action was putting the town into confusion, adding that it is an infringement on the fundamental human rights and personal liberty and dignity of victims.

“The young men are said to chase on sight, any person wearing Afro hairstyle and ensure that such a person is shaved. They are also said to have arrested some persons on allegation of cultism. The question that has remained on the people’s lips is where such authority would have emanated and whether or not they have a constitutional duty to do what they did,’’ Ukrugh said..

Similarly, the president of Next Generation Youth Initiative International (NeGYII), Ambassador Johnson Onoja, said the development was unacceptable because it infringed on the fundamental human rights of the victims.

Onoja said, “It is not the correct thing to do. We are not in the 13th century to profile someone’s status by their dressing or hairstyle. They are using the wrong approach. The right thing is to do a thorough research on their suspicions and report suspects to law enforcement agents for the law to take its course. They shouldn’t take laws into their hands.”

Another person who did not want his name mentioned, however, thinks the Jemgbagh youths acted rightly and in time to forestall a repeat of what happened penultimate weekend in Lessel community in Ushongo Local Government Area of the state, where 9 suspected members of a cult group were reportedly hacked to death in a face-off with youths.

The dust of that bloody clash, which lasted for over two hours, with several persons seriously injured, was yet to settle when the Jembgba youths decided to stop such occurrence in their area.

Daily Trust on Sunday learnt that the Lessel crisis started when suspected members of a cult group, who were in the town for a convention, attacked and killed a commercial motorcycle operator whose machine they attempted to snatch. As a result of that incident, Lessel youths became angry, mobilised and stormed the Joy Guest House where the suspected cultists lodged and attacked them with dangerous weapons.

At the end of that bloody fight, 9 of the suspected cultists were killed while others led the youth to where their members were hiding. It was learnt that the police rescued other suspects from the angry mob.

The commissioner of police, Benue State command, Ene Okon, who confirmed the crisis in Lessel and said that 13 persons were arrested, however, denied knowledge of the Gboko movement.

He told our correspondent by telephone that nothing of such had happened in recent times.

“The issue of some people going round and cutting somebody’s hair is not true. The police received only a single report to that effect and we went round the town but didn’t find anything like that. If we did, we would have arrested such persons because that’s an illegality. It is not true,’’ Okon said.

Meanwhile, the deputy youth leader of Gboko Local Government Area, Comrade Nyior Raphael, has distanced his group from the ongoing Afro haircut saga. He, however, noted that he was aware that some youths were waging war against cultists in the town.

Raphael said, “According to what I heard, the youths who carry out the haircuts have the traditional backing of our monarch, but I’m yet to speak with them personally.”

When contacted, the traditional leader of the area, Ter Gboko, Gabriel Shosum, told our correspondent that he was attending a meeting and would call back to respond to the issues raised. He, however, didn’t respond at the time of filing this report.

The chief press secretary to the paramount ruler of the Tiv Kingdom, Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, Godwin Ber, noted that the action of the Jemgbagh youths may not be unconnected with what happened in Lessel penultimate week.

Meanwhile, a communique issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the

Tiv Supreme Council (Ijitamen), held in Gboko during the week, decried the activities of cultists and other criminals in the area and called on stakeholders to support security agents in tackling the menace.

“Towards this end, traditional rulers, vigilante groups and livestock guards must imbibe intelligence gathering and information sharing mechanism for law enforcement agents to respond via quick action as desired,” the communique read in part.