News Editor
From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi
The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, PSP, has condemned the misinformation going round the media that some members of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, (BSCPG), was killed last week.
The Adviser said it has be home necessary to put the records straight concerning stories alleging that the protest which rocked Naka, headquarters of Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, last Tuesday where the LG secretariat, a palace and other private properties were burnt, was as a result of the killing of CPG members.
Har told newsmen that they also saw the viral video supposedly made by the local government council chairman and the Ter Nagi, alleging that members of CPG were killed and that is what led to the rampage of youth in Naka.
He said “This is not true. No member of CPG was killed, so if a group decided for political reason or for criminal reason, to go and burn down a local government secretariat and other places, it is condemnable.
“While we sympathize with those affected, I want to state here that they didn’t do that because CPG members were killed. No CPG member was killed. Everyone is intact . No member of the CPG is allowed to go for an attack except with operation orders. No such orders were given to anybody and no attack was done by the CPG let alone that they were killed.”
He explained that the CPG is concerned with the protection of lives and property and they are going to be working in conjunction with the conventional security.
According to him, the mandate of the CPG as first responders is to raise a flag and the conventional security, in synergy, will help to neutralize or defeat the enemy.
While he appealed to members of the public to have confidence in what the is doing, the Security Adviser further called for a change of attitude especially that of misleading people urging the general public to verify information from relevant authorities before spreading it.
Also speaking, the Commander of Benue State Civil Protection Guards, Capt Ayuma Ajobi (rtd) said “Concerning the video that is going viral on what happened on Tuesday at Naka, especially concerning the alleged killing of CPG members, I want to make it categorically clear that, it is not true.
“Whoever is peddling such rumours or information is wronged because he didn’t consult us as authority to brief him adequately.
“I am the accounting officer of my men and I know the number of men under my command. I know them by their names. They are under my authority and anytime they are going out for operation, they are giving operation order.
“The people mentioned are not part of us and they went for the operation on their own. Non of my men followed them on that operation.
“So, I want to refute that allegation that those killed are our men. Those that died are Terfa Agbe, Ikyange Ayua and somebody called Ushiri. I have cross checked my nominal roll, list of people under my command and they do not exist. They are not my men, I don’t know them. All I can say is that they are local youths of that community,” he explained.
On his part, the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Hon. Godwin Malu, said all the messages on the said video are not correct, because the last check on CPG in Gwer West, CPG members were not deployed or authorized to go anywhere in the cause of what happened in Naka.
“So, we want to state categorically that none of our men was deployed or killed in Naka during that incident,”Malu said.