Nigerian Army and Benue State Governor, Dr Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday disagreed over the manner in which the state’s most wanted criminal, Terwase Akwasa, popularly known as “Gana,” was killed by soldiers while on his way to Makurdi, the state capital, along with some members of his gang, to surrender their arms.
Soldiers had arrested Gana near Yandev roundabout in Gboko Local Government Area of the state.
Military authorities later announced that he was subsequently killed in a fire fight with soldiers, but Governor Ortom disagreed with the Army.
“WE HEARD THAT SOME SOLDIERS INTERCEPTED THEM AFTER THEY TOOK OFF FROM KATSINA-ALA, AT A ROADBLOCK NEAR YANDEV ROUNDABOUT. GANA, WHO WAS AMONG THEM, WAS APPREHENDED ALONGSIDE SEVERAL OTHERS AND TAKEN AWAY IN THEIR VEHICLE”
Gana, it was confirmed, alongside some of his gang members, was apprehended while being conveyed by the council of Sankera traditional rulers from Katsina-Ala town to Makurdi to be granted amnesty.
Governor Samuel Ortom told newsmen at a press conference at about 8:30 pm that over 172 of the militia men embraced the amnesty and were being brought for formal presentation to the state security council before the soldiers took away Gana and many others.
Ortom said, “We heard that some soldiers intercepted them after they took off from Katsina-Ala, at a roadblock near Yandev roundabout.
“Gana, who was among them, was apprehended alongside several others and taken away in their vehicle.
“We tried to reach out to General Yekini, who confirmed to me that they (Army) were responsible and will bring him later.”
The governor added that following Gana’s arrest, some of his men returned to Katsina-Ala, while only 42 reached their destination in Government House, Makurdi.
But in a twist, the commander of the 4 Special Forces Command in Nasarawa State, Brig-General Maude Gadzama, announced on Tuesday that Terwase Akwasa “Gana” was killed in a fire fight with the military at a roadblock mounted by the Army along Gbese-Gboko-Makurdi road.
The Army commander said, “At about 12:00 hours on Tuesday, we received strategic information on the movement of the dreaded bandit, Terwase Akwaza Agbadu AKA Gana along Gbese-Gboko-Makurdi road.
“Troops of Operation ‘Ayem Akpatuma III’ moved swiftly and mounted roadblocks along the routes.
“At about 13:00 hours, there was an engagement with the convoy of Gana, a shoot-out ensued and the bandit was killed.”
The Commander also said that 40 armed members of Gana’s gang were captured during the operation.
He said the captured gang members were in Army custody and would be handed over to the appropriate authority for prosecution.
The commander also disclosed that several rifles, pump-action guns, ammunition, charms, and explosives among other items were recovered from the gang.
He said Gana’s corpse had been deposited in an undisclosed hospital mortuary.
It was gathered that the idea of another amnesty programme came up following a stakeholders meeting of Sankera elders two weeks ago, where Gana’s gang allegedly willingly agreed to lay down their arms if granted amnesty.
Elders, including political leaders from the area, were said to have prevailed on Governor Samuel Ortom to extend the olive branch to the militia men.
The Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General, Adeyemi Yekini and Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mukaddas Garba, however, remained declined to comment on the development as they neither responded to calls made to their phones or respond to text messages sent to their lines.
The Benue State Government had in 2015 granted amnesty to over 500 persons, including Gana, who were terrorising parts of Benue and Taraba states, but most of them relapsed into criminality.
Gana had been on the run since May 2016 for alleged cases of kidnapping, robbery, murder, and cattle rustling, as well as terrorising residents around his home area and Taraba State border towns.
He was later in 2017 declared wanted by the police while the Benue State Government placed N10 million bounty on him.
