Re: How soldiers invaded our settlements, killed 15

Those who are behind the unfortunate attack, I must give it to them, did their homework well by recruiting the services of reporters of various newspapers on ground in Nasarawa State for their hatchet job. The screaming headlines of how soldiers flush out insurgents in Nasarawa were the lead of most newspapers on Friday, April […]

Those who are behind the unfortunate attack, I must give it to them, did their homework well by recruiting the services of reporters of various newspapers on ground in Nasarawa State for their hatchet job.
The screaming headlines of how soldiers flush out insurgents in Nasarawa were the lead of most newspapers on Friday, April 14th, especially by the Lagos axis of the Nigerian press, except for The Nation, which had to go the extra mile to balance its report by reaching out to the national body of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) for the herdsmen’s angle to the story.
Reading through the stories, it is not hard to deduce that like the action, which claimed several lives, the stories are premeditated and planted. The words “insurgent” was freely used to give the action of the soldiers credibility. Some went even too far to justify the attack by informing the public that there were “exchange of fire” between the soldiers and “insurgents”. Questions need to be asked on how the reporters came about such prejudiced stories. Who are these sources they so attributed such information to? Where are the arms that were recovered from the settlements? And has anyone noticed that the authors of those reports, or rather most of them, bear Tiv names? Coincidence?
What’s more, Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam and his people have severally accused Governor Al-Makura of “habouring insurgents”, and not doing enough to curb their movement. Similarly, the soldiers that attacked Keana were also said to have accused residents of “habouring insurgents.” The Osana of Kean, Emmanuel Elayo was also quoted to have explained how the soldiers had asked some of his subjects whether they are Alago or Fulani before the operation. So many coincidences wont you say.
And the Osana and Governor Al-Makura did ask the questions that would bother the minds of every peace loving persons in the state that as chief security officers of the state and the area, are they not supposed to be privy to the deployment of a troops for an operation there? Both the paramount ruler and Al-Makura have denied that those killed in the unfortunate attack are not insurgents but herdsmen who have cohabited with the indigenes of the area for over 20 years. The Osana particularly acknowledged that those killed were resident in his domain and had lived peacefully with other ethnic groups in the area.
He and the governor were unanimous that the community based approach to resolving the farmers/ herdsmen feud in the state was yielding results. The state commissioner of police, Idris Ibrahim also acknowledged that the reconciliation effort brokered by the Inspector General of Police was on course. According to Ibrahim, youths from the warring groups were in his office to reassure him of their commitment to the peace pact initiated by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar. National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Sale Bayari, also acknowledged the peace effort between farmers and herdsmen targeting 10 states.
“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,” he had told newsmen. The attack under the guise of a military operation is indicative of the fact those who are benefiting from the mayhem are bent on jeopardizing any move aimed at ending it.
Like a national commentator said on the matter recently, “The reports as appreciated from this thread exposes possible ‘intent’ to expel Fulani settlers.” This is the more reason why the National Human Right Commission and other such bodies should step in. This is however not foreclosing the investigation earlier promised by the military if it has not done so already. However, rather than the military, like I suggested earlier, the National Human Rights Commission should take over the investigation judging by the outcome of Apo killings it handled. Its recent report on the development shows that it is the only federal government institution that has remained unbiased, especially in cases where its principal’s interest is at stake. The government looked the other way when a militia group slaughtered over a hundred of its security operatives, why would the death of a few herdsmen in a hostile territory matter?
Mohammed wrote in from Akwanga, Nasarawa State.