Communities in Benue and Taraba States have commended the federal government and troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, for tackling criminal activities headlong and restoring peace in their domain.
The communities through their various representatives said effort of the Nigeria Defence Headquarter through OPWS have put to rest armed banditry, kidnapping activities, herder/farmer and Tiv/Jukun crisis.
The commendation was made during a tour to areas of operation of the OPWS, organized by the Defence Headquarters accompanied by men of the 72 Battalion, Makurdi and 93 Battalion, Takum in troubled areas of the two States.
Caretaker Chairperson for Katsina-Ala local government area of Benue State Mrs. Virginia Kpindi, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for deploying OPWS to the area especially in Gbise which was the stronghold of the dreaded criminal, Terwase Akwaza a.k.a ‘Gana’.
“I want to thank the commander of Operation whirl Stroke Major General Adeyemi Yekini who has led his troops to this area to ensure that peace and tranquility returned to Gbise.”
The District Head of Mbayongo in Gbise, Tyoor Zaki John Kuji outrightly denied claims that traditional chiefs shielded criminals in their domain, maintaining that they had at several meetings, church services and burials, rebuked and preached against the activities of these criminals.
Zaki Kuji applauded the Federal Government, the OPWS and the Benue State for all the efforts in ensuring that peace is permanently restored in the area.
“We have received so much military cooperation from the troops in Gbise. As people would say, we never shaded these criminals. These people are living as people of underworld and it is very difficult to identify them. But, at our meetings, church services and burials, we talked, rebuked and preached to them to avoid criminal activity.
“However, the situation now is very calm, normalcy has been restored in Gbise, people are going about with their normal businesses, farmers are engaging in their farming activities and our markets are now highly populated” Zaki Kuji said with excitement
Also speaking, Chairman of Takum local government area, Mr. Shiban Shikari noted that OPWS have done a lot for the people, saying that apart from their presence in Takum LG for the purpose of Tiv/Jukun crisis, the troops have opened the roads in Kashibila that were barricaded by armed robbers and kidnappers.
Mr. Shikari also disclosed that before the crisis which started in Kente and spread to Takum, a Tiv man had no problem with a Jukun man as they lived peacefully.
He explained that the people had problem with armed robbers and the kidnappers led by Gana who had been terrorising the area because he had recruited more than 500 youths from both Taraba and Benue States that are under him carrying out nefarious activities.
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The Council chairman however expressed joy that the presence of OPWS has brought peace and order to their place while many of their youths have repented and turned a new leaf.
Addressing newsmen at Gbise, acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyeama Nwachukwu said, “as it stands today, this community, a stronghold of that criminal has been liberated, they have been neutralized and that is why we are here to show to you that peace and tranquility has been restored to this community, economic and social lives have been restored to the community.
“Before now, no security agent could venture into this community but as it stands today, you can see that our troops are fully established here and dominating the entire environment. The locals have been liberated from the grip of that notorious criminal known as Gana. Those days they were paying royalties to him and they were been intimidated and harassed by this criminal but as it stands today, the community has been liberated, that is why we are here to showcase the successes that we have recorded.
Also Commander, OPWS, Major General Adeyemi Yekini said the deployment of troops in Gbise formed part of a two attack strategies that they used to restore peace and tranquility not only in this community but also along the border between Benue and Taraba States.
“Just about a kilometer ahead from Gbise is Gawa and Dogo Gawa. Gawa in Benue State and Dogo Gawa in Taraba State which is the boundary between Benue and Taraba States. Our troop had been sent here to liberate Gbise and the entire Katsina-Ala local government area of Benue state from the grip of Gana and his men.
“Gbise had suffered in the hands of criminals led by Gana and it was almost a state within a state and we felt that this is unacceptable, we only have one indivisible country and we will not allow any criminal element, hoodlums or so called warlord to terrorize Nigeria, carve out almost an empire for himself.
“So, on October 1st 2019, we sent a strong force to Gbise to flush out these criminal elements and establish a point which is like a super camp. Thank God we are able to achieve the mission and the area is generally peaceful and calm.
“Our intelligence suggested that this crisis was being fueled by Gana and his gang. Gana had a troop that he sent to attack the people around the border areas. Until we came here, neutralized those of them that refused to run and captured those we could capture, that we are able to bring peace and tranquility to this area. So, in a way, since we did this deployment, we could see that the Tiv/Jukun crisis had gradually reduced to almost zero.
“Before and after the deployment of our force to Gbise, through our series of commando operations so many Gana gang members were killed during shoot outs with our troops and about 22 weapons were recovered and 55 Gana’s gang members were arrested by our troops between July to today.
“These have been handed over to the police with their particulars and dates of their arrest. I also hope that the police would do diligent prosecution so that these people face justice”, he said.
General Yekini stated that in a bid to sustain the peace that had already been recorded, they have further embarked on so many measures including operational strategies which involves kinetic (actual fighting) and non kinetic which involves peace and security meetings with critical stakeholders in the affected areas where religious leaders, traditional rulers and youths were brought together from both sides and agreed to give peace a chance as a result of OPWS intervention.
He posited that there is no more fighting between Tiv and Jukun while the issues of armed robbery and kidnapping had also been put to rest in so many axis of the two states including Nasarawa, stressing that their efforts would be sustained so as to bring development back to the devastated places.
The OPWS Commander who noted that most of the people that fled during the crisis have started returning to the communities urged them to go about their normal economic and social activities assuring them of the presence of the troops.
