Residents, Army bicker over whereabouts of 30 arrested Benue suspects

The whereabouts of about 30 indigenes of Kenvanger in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State is now the cause of disagreement between the natives and members of Oper¬ation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) operating in the area.

The 30 indigenes were said to have been arrested by troops in November, 2020.

While the locals are of the belief that the troops may have killed the locals, the military spike operation in the state said that the suspects were alive and well.

Some of the locals who spoke in Katsina-Ala weekend also alleged that follow¬ing the ban on motorcycles in the area, instead of impounding bikes that flouted the directive of the State Security Council (SSC), the troops have resorted to setting impounded bikes on fire.

The OPWS also debunked the allegation that bikes were being set ablaze, de¬scribing the allegation as false.

Even though the chairman of the LGA, Alfred Atera, confirmed the burning of bikes, he said he had received the report that only one bike was set on fire as at Sunday.

On the arrests, the locals alleged that the 30 suspects were picked up by the troops while they were planning for the burial of one Igbalagh Aondoakaa, who died of a bike accident along the Gbise-Atumbe-Kenvanger road on November 21, 2020.

The natives explained that since the suspects were arrested about two months ago, their families were yet to hear from them, just as none of them had been returned by the troops.

The inhabitants of the area further noted that although the OPWS had denied making the arrests, they had severally sighted the vehicles used to convey the suspects at the military base in Gbishe.

However, OPWS has debunked the allegation of mass killing of suspects, adding that the military would never embark on such a venture.

It also stated that the spike operation does not subscribe to setting bikes on fire, adding that rather, the bandits were directly and indirectly fighting the ban on motorcycles in the area.

Efforts to get the Force Commander, OPWS, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, to confirm or deny the findings proved abortive.  (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Daily Independent)