15/04/2021
The Aftermath Of Military Invasion In Konshisha, Benue State.
Humanitarian situation in Konshisha worsens
-Houses of Ex-COAS's Father-in-law, H/Court Judge, 2nd Class Chief Destroyed
-Uncertainty over casualty figures
There is urgent need for humanitarian assistance in Konshisha Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, the Executive Director of Community Links and Human Empowerment Initiative (CLHEI) Helen Teghtegh has said.
Konshisha has come under aerial and ground raids from federal troops, following escalation of conflict between Konshisha and Oju LGAs.
Tension escalated between the two LGAs on Monday, 5th April, 2021, following a protracted land dispute between neighbouring communities of Bonta (in Konshisha LGA) and Okpute (in Oju LGA).
While locals in Bonta accuse the military of leading Igede militia to attack them, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, Director Army Public Relations, on 8th April, 2021, said in a statement that "Nigerian Army (NA) troops operating in Benue State came under attack while on routine operational task. The troops comprising one officer and ten soldiers were initially declared missing which prompted the deployment of a joint search and rescue team comprising NA troops and personnel of Operation Whirl Stroke.
"The search and rescue team," according to the statement "unfortunately found all the missing troops dead in Konshisha LGA of Benue State. While the bodies of the slain troops were evacuated immediately, efforts are ongoing to track down the perpetrators of this heinous crime with a view to bringing them to Justice."
In a twist of the "search and rescue" operation though, locals say federal troops targeted civilians with communities including Bonta, Tse-Anyon, Gbinde, Gungul, Adoka, Agidi, Mbakor/Karmem and Guleya and Ullam in Gwer East LGA, brought to rubbles.
This is the second time in 20 years that federal troops have targeted unarmed civilians in Benue State over the killing of personnel. The first time was in 2001, following conflict between the Tiv and Jukun of Taraba State.
Bonta, the epicentre of the conflict is dozens of miles away from Gungul, Adoka, Agidi, Guleya and Mbakor/Karmem, and the other villages, which have come under the brute force of federal troops.
The number of civilian casualties is yet to be assertained while thousands of locals have been rendered homeless, with homes and storage crops as well as economic trees destroyed in the attacks. While helicopter gunship carried out air raids, ground troops set houses ablaze using chemicals and grenades, locals said.
Community Links and Human Empowerment Initiative's team was in the area to assess the situation. And according to Dr. Helen, there is no justification for targeting civilians instead of those alleged to have committed the crime.
Dr. Helen is calling for immediate assistance to help the locals rebuild their homes.
Houses of Nigeria's former Army Chief Gen. Victor Malu's father-in-law, Akase Buruku, a High Court Judge in Benue State Masewanger Odinya, Mue Ter Ishangev-Tiev His Highness Unaha Koko are among the homes that were razed by the military action.
Head of Ayatutu Lawyers, a group of lawyers of Tiv origin Oscar Aorabee questioned: "You rained down gunship fire and razed the houses of a serving High Court Judge, a Second Class Chief and the oldest living Tyoor in Tivland: What's their offence?"
According to Ayatutu Lawyers, "Collective punishment" is prohibited, citing "laws of war and the Geneva Conventions" and "numerous military manuals worldwide."
The group said "NO ONE must be allowed, in trying to get justice, return us to a "might is right" primitive and brutish state and abdicate due process to jungle justice. We cannot, and should not, condone jungle justice, whether by mob action or military action," saying they have "undeniable and unimpeachable evidence of the burning, maiming and destruction of lives and properties including places of worship, business premises, residential houses, vehicles and massive foodstuff, including those of many of our members (with the intention of punishing the people by hunger) by none other than the Nigerian Army. This is targeted at whole communities and neighbourhoods because the alleged killers of the soldiers are said to belong there. This is collective punishment."
While vowing to ensure that justice is served the people of Konshisha, Ayatutu Lawyers called on "the Federal and State Governments to make the necessary arrangements to avoid the humanitarian disaster that is looming as a result of the unnecessary displacement of the teeming population of women, children and the aged, and the massive destruction of foodstuff by the Army for the purpose of starving this vulnerable population."
This is the second time that federal troops would destroy a house built by the erstwhile army Chief, the late Gen. Malu. The first time was in 2001, during the military invasion of Zaki -Biam, in Ukum LGA, parts of Katsina-Ala and Logo LGAs.
On 12th April, 2021, dead bodies of 11 military personnel said to have been killed in the conflict, were buried at a military cemetery in Makurdi.
The State Governor Samuel Ortom, expressed deep sympathies with bereaved families of the deceased soldiers. He pledged his administration's support for the bereaved families to enable them overcome the difficult moment.
Ortom also spoke on the need for the people of the state to support security agents deployed to end crisis in their areas and avoid attacks against them, saying attacks on security agents would make the situation extremely difficult to contain.
He directed "leaders of the affected areas to ensure that the weapons the bandits took away from the military personnel deployed to bring peace between the warring communities are returned without delay," a statement by the Governor's Chief Press Secretary Terver Akase said.
The Gazette earlier reported military sources as saying that a stockpile of military hardware worth about N28 Million cash was carted away by marauding bandits who ambushed a select group of Nigerian troops on a reinforcement mission to quell pockets of communal clashes in Benue State.
The soldiers were said to have been dispatched from Katsina-Ala Local Government Area to deliver weaponry to troops in Oju LGA (171km from Katsina-Ala) were overrun by an armed militia said to be from the Konshisha district of the state, in an attack believed to have occurred on Tuesday.
Senior military officers said N28 million was also with the soldiers at the time of the ambush, all of which the attackers cornered and disappeared into the night on the fringes of the Benue River.
“Yes, the bandits stole weapons and also about N28 million from the soldiers,” the senior officer said. “The entire situation has been under investigation since the headquarters heard about it.”
The logistics team, led by A.T. Adedayo — an army captain — was reported missing, including a general-purpose machine gun and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, the report said.
Meanwhile, local sources in Konshisha have accused Nigerian soldiers of taking sides with Igede militia to attack them.
"On 16th March, we had a security meeting and I told the Deputy Governor that if these people are Nigerian soldiers, it means because we are also part of Benue State, they will protect us. However any time they come they come against us," a man simply identified as Terhemen told ThisWeek.
He said this year on March 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, men dressed in military uniform attacked Bonta. The last time, they allegedly came for a peace meeting and the next thing, after they left was attack on the community, Terhemba noted.
The problem in the area is the boundary dispute, which dates back to 1997. A public inquiry has completed work with demacartion of the boundary between the two LGAs in view, when fresh violence erupted.
However, Oju LGC boss Onaa denied that soldiers took side. "They were not really settled in any person's house. They were actually staying in Ukpute, one of the warring communities. It was there that they relocated to one apartment," within the area, the Chairman said.
The apartment, according to Onaa initially served Operation Zenda Operatives and the troops relocated it for want of efficient communication service at Ukpute.
He said unspecify number of Igede locals "were marchetted in the course of the skirmishes," adding that people's houses worth millions of Naira were consumed.
Now, Tersoo Yaka is blaming the Government of Benue State for putting them into the instant situation because of failure to map out the boundaries.
"If the land has been demarcated we wouldn't have landed into this problem," Tersoo said adding: "We are not happy if truly soldiers have been killed."
"We are supposed to be protected by government. And if the same government is coming against us, as if we are criminals, then where lies our help,?" Tersoo queried.
Many are questioning why troops would not go after the bandits and target innocent civilians, who are also victims of armed men.
Former Benue North East Senator Chief Barnabas Gemade condemned the crisis, calling for peace.
His media aide Solo Dzuah quoted him as expressing shock over the "sudden escalation of the long standing squabbles which has always been managed amicably by traditional leaders," however noting that he along side "other eminent sons of the land are pushing for the insecurity to halt."
Gemade was sighted at the presidency in the wake of air raids and ground attacks.
Konshisha and Oju Local Government Council Chairmen (LGC) James Jirgba and Clement Onaa, have expressed dismay at the renewed crisis between the two communities. Both have agreed that demarcating the boundary between the warring communities would end the lingering crisis.
They have also alluded to loss in millions of Naira due to property destroyed and called for calm.
Mike Assoh, a former chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Makurdi Branch said the situation "is totally uncalled for. The sustained seige and annihilation of my people and the land of my birth , Shangev Tiev people by military men is highly condemnable.
"Gungul is located more than 30kms away from Bonta where the issues emanated. No matter the level of provocation, there is no justification for this dastardly act of extreme barbarism under a democratic government. While I hold sacred the lives of our soldiers and all security personnel and will never support an attack on any security personnel not to talk of killing of any, it is time the powers that be call the soldiers who are on rampage in Shangev Tiev to order. A whole nation can not be targeted for destruction because of the malfeasance of some few delinquents."
Another legal practitioner from Konshisha LGA, whose house been razed by the military action questioned "why the military would be drawn into a communal crisis."
He said "there is a serious internally displaced people's crisis looming as those whose homes have been burnt down are presently taking refuge in either the bushes or nearby communites which are themselves not safe at the moment."
While urging the people to remain "calm in the face of all these trials and commit to God in prayers," called on Governor Ortom to take the matter serious as it is capable of creating another major humanitarian crisis just as the herdsmen attacks have done.
A nonagenarian Myem Yasam of Tse-Buruku was selecting her burnt yams when ThisWeek visited. She said she was at home when the soldiers came. "They moved to Karmem and when they got there there, there is a revenue point and whether it was because of the checkpoint by the revenue collectors that infuriated them or what was it, they started burning houses from there. When we saw them burning we fled for safety, without knowing what exactly that was happening."
With the return of the rains, those whose houses have been destroyed in the raids are vulnerable to the elements of weather.
And since it is agrarian area, there will be serious crisis with respect to plant seeds. Storage crops including those for commercial purposes have been burnt. None of those who spoke with ThisWeek admitted picking "a pin" with them.
Troops have converted St. Lucy's Parish and Parish House Awajir to their base.
There are conflicting figures of civilian casualties with locals putting figures at dozens. Unidentified number of "bandits" are said to be neutralised.
Soldiers are also accused of confiscating motorcycles from locals.
A military source at the theatre denied that civilian populations were targeted in the operation.
Story By Denen Achussah
