By Charity Roberts
Youth of Umogidi community in Entekpa council ward of Adoka district in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State have expressed dissatisfaction over security presence in their area.
Adakole Inalegwu Daniel, who is President of Idoma National Youth Forum and hails from the community, alleged that there were no presence of military or other security outfits in the area which suffered armed invasions recently despite continued attacks.
But, in a swift response, Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia, told journalists in Makurdi that the claims were spurious allegations to frustrate the efforts of the military and other security agencies in their effort to secure the citizenry from marauding bandits who have no regards to rule of law or respect for law of armed conflict.
The youth leader earlier told newsmen in Makurdi that the Umogidi community which was worst hit during a recent attack which claimed over 50 people lives in one day had yet remained the most painful armed invaders attack in the history of Benue state.
“One day we were burying three persons that were killed by armed herders. Immediately after the burial men of OPWS came into our village in four trucks led by an Army Major (names withheld) who addressed our youths and after that he said they were going back.
“We were begging them to stay, even the council chairman of Otukpo LGA, Ejeh Bako who is also from Umogidi was begging them in our presence that the place is not safe and is not secure for the people but they refused and left.
“Forty-five minutes after they (OPWS) left, we experienced the terror of the armed herders. The herders came from all corners of the village shooting at the villagers and killed 47 persons on the day, which was 5th April, 2023.
“Since then we have had doubts over the intervention of the Federal Government to offer us security through its military operations, tagged OPWS. The men of OPWS who had the capacity to prevent that attack refused to stay back despite our plea.
“We are very angry with OPWS. We believe there is a conspiracy because they had the support of the military. The armed herders that came into the village were putting on military regalia.
“So, as the President, Idoma Youth Forum and as a citizen and indegene of Umogidi, I am very pained; I am angry with the Nigeria military, especially Operation Whirl Stroke that they are not helping us. Their presence is doing us more harm than good. We wish they could do more.
“And to make matters worse, we don’t have any working police post or security outfit within 15km radius of our village. One of the two policemen posted to cover the council ward of eight villages was killed during the attack. We are living in the open,” he said.
Responding, the OPWS Force Commander, Igbinomwanhia, warned communities to be careful not to fall into the plans of the criminals who he noted want to discredit the Force by wearing military type of outfits to commit crime.
“The bandits and other criminals however live within the populace, consequently we continue to appeal to our good people to play their role in this all important task of securing our communities and our nation by providing the needed support to the Force in form of information and not to maliciously castigate them and inadvertently appear to be supporting the criminals and our collective enemies.
“No member of the Force will turn their weapons on the people they have sworn to protect. We acknowledge isolated cases of individual personnel engaging in activities not sanctioned by the Force, such individual are quickly identified and immediately weeded out, using our very stern military justice system.
“Despite these outbursts, we will continue to work assiduously to ensure security in our Joint Operations Area of Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States,” the Force commander assured .
Edited by Dada Ahmed .
