Godwin Akor, Makurdi
Member of the House of Representatives from Kwande/Ushongo Federal constituency in Benue state, Hon. Bob Tyough, is unhappy that the Commander of OPERATION WHIRL STROKE, OPWS, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, has claimed in an interview with journalists that his team has ended insecurity in Benue state while the killings continue unabated.
“While not taking anything away from the commitment and gallantry of the military in our State, particularly troops of OPWS, I wish to raise objection to the swooping claim by Major General Yekini which tends to sell the impression that total peace has returned to Benue State”, Tyough added.
He pointed out that Yekini’s claims that Benue people are no longer under attacks was not true and maintained that four persons were killed and many others injured at Waya community in Jato-Aka, Kwande Local Government Area on Tuesday.
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“The OPWS Commander’s assertion that his job does not include arresting cows on the streets is also misleading because herdsmen invade our communities with sophisticated weapons and kill innocent people”, Tyough noted.
Tyough observed that if attacks do not fall within the mandate of the military operation, then, he wonders what else is their mandate.
The lawmaker further stated that he read the comments credited to Governor Samuel Ortom to which Major General Yekini reacted, and I saw nothing strange in what the Governor said other than the well known fact that the security agencies needed support and explained that the Governor’s statement implied that as much as the military operation has done well, a lot more needed to be done to ensure that Benue communities were safer and could return to their ancestral homes.
“In my opinion, Major General Yekini ought to have seen Governor Ortom’s call as a voice of support; and his team have no doubt done a commendable job even as they are also aware that their capacity needs to be strengthened to enable them do better” the House of Representatives member stressed.
According to him, Kwande Local Government Area has only 35 police personnel. He queried thus : “How would 35 police men guarantee the safety of lives and property in a local government?”.
