Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Member representing Logo/Ukum/Katsina-Ala Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Dr. Richard Gbande has raised the alarm that his life and those of other leaders of the constituency who negotiated the surrender of the killed militia leader, Terwase Agwaza (alias Gana), was in danger.
Gbande who disclosed this at a press conference, yesterday, said the impression in his constituency was that the religious, traditional and political leaders who negotiated the surrender of Gana betrayed and gave him out to the military.
It would be recalled that Gana alongside over 100 other repentant militants were on their way to Makurdi last week Tuesday to be granted amnesty by the state security council after they surrendered themselves to leaders of Sankera axis of the state comprising Logo, Ukum and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas.
He was however arrested and later killed by the military after being seized alongside 40 other repentant criminals while being conveyed to Makurdi for the amnesty programme.
The lawmaker said the manner in which Gana was killed by the military had created the impression that those who negotiated a second amnesty for him actually lured him out and handed him over to his killers.
“It is sad because our youths will not believe whatever we tell them anymore. As it is now, we are also scared for our safety in our constituency because the people are not happy with what happened.
“If the military had caught him in the bush, it would have been a different story, but the fact that the political, religious and traditional leaders ensured that he embraced the amnesty and in doing that, he got killed by the military,the impression out there is that we sold him out, which is completely untrue,” he said.
He described the death of Gana in the hands of the military as extra judicial killing even as he called on youths of the area to remain calm and law abiding.