From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Even as Benue State Government has continued to intensify efforts to end insecurity in the state, Special Adviser to the Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har , has disclosed that the handling of the case of late kingpin, Terwase Akwaza ( aka Gana)by the immediate past administration has fueled distrust and more insecurity in the state.
The Security Adviser, who stated this at the heels of three days of sustained attacks and killings in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, said the state Government was engaging and building confidence in bandits in the Sankera axis as one of the measures to tackling the insecurity not only in the area but in the entire state.
Speaking to newsmen in his office in Makurdi, Har assured that before long the insecurity in the area would be brought under control as the government was engaging the bandits and using the carrot and stick approach in getting the bandits to lay down their arms.
He said in arriving at a solution, the Alia government would involve the traditional and religious institutions in the state, so that they would not be seen to be going back to the past, when efforts of drawing the bandits out of hiding ended wrongly.
He stated that already bandits operating in the state were having doubts on the sincerity of the government in giving them protection and new life, explaining that the partnership with the traditional rulers was to gain their trust, pull them out and better their lives saying that Alia is a sincere and honest person and willing to extend a hand of fellowship to all.
He said: “My principal, Governor Hyacinth Alia, as a priest, is sincere and passionate about human life. For the first time in the history of the country, a state has two Security Advisers; one for Security and Strategic Liaison and the other on Security and Internal Affairs.
“What we are doing now is to build back the confidence in these guys (bandits). We are asking them to come out.We are talking with them; we are engaging them. We have told them that what they are doing is destroying our communities; it’s destroying our economy, it’s making the society look ugly and it’s giving the state a bad image. So, we are going to build back the confidence in them and in a very short while, you will see results.”
According to Har, despite the recent killings in the state, there has been relative peace, even as he pointed out that there has been increased security presence in the state, since the visit of Governor Alia, to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja.
He said: “When His Excellency says, there is relative peace, he is telling us that the security situation is not what it used to be. These things are there but they are not as rampant and as devastating as it used to be and very soon you will see the results.
“We are talking to the bandits and asking them to calm down. I will refer you to the ‘Gana’ (Terwase Akwaza), era which was erroneously done. So, these bandits are having doubts but we have a Governor who is sincere and honest and willing to extend hands of fellowship to everyone.
“The fact that things were done wrongly yesterday (before now), does not mean that things will be continually done wrongly. We are telling them to trust this government as well as security agencies, who are committed to a peaceful kinetic approach.
“Whether we want to grant them amnesty (or not), the Governor is committed to making them better citizens”, he said.