Herdsmedia condemned as hype fails to greet Police parade of Benue, Plateau killings
*Jos monarch knocked for kicking against arrest of killers
Nigerian watchers of events regarding the killings and escalation of same in Plateau State in recent time have condemned the failure of Nigerian Media to give the positive results of security agencies over efforts to get to the root of the matter equal hype they gave, especially, to the fake news they recently reported against the Fulani herdsmen on it.
Some of them, who took to social media to vent their angers over what they described as unethical attitude of journalists in the country taking “freedom of the press too far to freedom of crimes”, said the pen community as it currently stand should admit its role in the complicity by “agents of darkness” to collapse Nigeria thinking they are doing that to punish the an entire tribe of Hausa/Fulani based on unverifiable allegations.
One of the concerned citizen, Zaharadeen Deena, who commented in his own post said, “Shame on Nigerian Herdsmedia who reported that Fulani Herdsmen were the ones that perpetrated the killings but refused to publish the outcome of Police investigation in their Newspapers.”
The Nigerian Media, print, broadcasting and online, are lately in a serious mess due to what has been described as their long time of “harm to Nigerian unity, peace and development through religious and ethnic biases” is now peaked.
The atrocities blamed on the Nigerian Media, The DEFENDER gathered, is now so conspicuous to the extent that recently, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) could not stomach it any longer when it published how Nigerian Media thrived in publications of fake news in ways that escalated killings in their country.
Our checks revealed that decades before we came into journalism publication on June 24, 2016, the a particular religion and tribe in this country had been subjected to stigma due to wrong projection of them by the Southern Nigerian Christian-dominated media as groups of killers and national disasters.
The tide is now changing against the pen professionals as even the eyes of the world are now open to how the same Nigerian citizens in the supposed noble profession allow themselves to be compromised by a group of religious people whose stock in trade has been preaching of hates against faith and tribe people.
Police parades killers
The Nigerian Police Force, on Monday, paraded the alleged perpetrators of latest killings in Plateau and Benue states.
Unfortunately the Gwam Jos, the king of Jos, criticized the Nigeria Police for what he described as arresting innocent people for the Barkin Ladi Local Government killing of over 100, which perhaps informed the slam by President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odushile, who at the union’s conference in Sokoto on Monday slammed traditional rulers who interfered unproductively in matter of state security.
To Gwam Jos and those in the same shoes with him, the anticipation had been that the arrested suspected criminals of Benue and Plateau killings would be entirely Fulani, it was learned.
But the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood in a statement, said the arrest of those paraded followed credible intelligence.
The suspects are: Benjamin Bagugba Tivfa “32 YRS” – A Serving Honourable Councillor of Fidi Council Ward, Makurdi, Benue State. (Admitted to have supplied arms and ammunition to the bandits for their criminal activities);
“Victor Ganabe “35 YRS” – Native of Gwer West, Naka, Benue State;
Daniel Kyase “33 YRS” – Native of Mbaku, Makurdi, Benue State – (admitted to be a member Benue State Livestock Guards);
Alhaji Adajo Tomza “28 YRS” – Native of Tse Egbe, Gwer West, Benue State – (admitted to be a member Benue State Livestock Guards);
Msugh Teraki “23 YRS” – Native of Sengv, Naikpe, Gwer West, Benue State – (admitted to be a member Benue State Livestock Guards);
Julius Avaan “49 YRS” – Native of Ikpayongu, Gwer East, Benue State;
Terdula Udeh “37 YRS” – Native of Gwer West, Benue State;
Sunday Cheche “34 YRS” – Native of Guma LGA, Benue State – (admitted to be a member Benue State Livestock Guards)
Exhibits include Two (2) AK47 Rifles and 436 Rounds of AK47 ammunition.
A statement which, confirmed their arrests read: “On the 27th June, 2018, the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) deployed to Benue State acted promptly on actionable intelligence and other information from concerned members of the public, trailed and arrested six (6) suspects in their hideout in a hotel in Naka village, Benue State and recovered the arms and ammunition listed above from their possession. The arrest of the six (6) suspects, namely; Victor Ganabe “35 YRS” – Native of Gwer West, Naka, Benue State, Daniel Kyase “33 YRS” – Native of Mbaku, Makurdi, Benue State, Alhaji Adajo Tomza “28 YRS” – Native of Tse Egbe, Gwer West, Benue State, Msugh Teraki “23 YRS” – Native of Sengv, Naikpe, Gwer West, Benue State, Julius Avaan “49 YRS” – Native of Ikpayongu, Gwer East, Benue State, Terkula Udeh “37 YRS” – Native of Gwer West, Benue State; led to the arrest of Benjamin Bagugba Tivfa “32 YRS” who is a Serving Honourable Councillor of Fidi Council Ward, Makurdi, Benue State.
The bandits confessed that the councillor is a member of their gang and responsible for supply of arms and ammunition including money to finance their operations. The councillor admitted to have bought Fifteen (15) rounds of AK47 ammunition from the last suspect, Sunday Cheche “34 YRS” – Native of Guma LGA, Benue State and also confessed to have provided money to finance the operations of the gang. The bandits admitted to have carried out several killings and armed robbery attacks on innocent people in different locations in Benue State.
“The investigation is in progress to arrest other members of the bandits at large. They will be arraigned in court on completion of the investigation.
“Case 2: Update on Police Investigation into the killings of innocent people in Plateau State
Consequent upon the Inspector General of Police deployment on the 24th June, 2018 of Police Special Intervention Force to Plateau State to restore lasting peace in Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Jos South LGAs and other troubled spots in the state, and the relocation of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations to the State along with Two (2) Helicopters, Five (5) APCs, Three (3) PMF Units, Two (2) CTU Cells and deployment of Police Intelligence Unit to the crisis affected areas in Plateau State.
“It would be recalled that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni visited Plateaustate on the 26th June, 2018. While in the State he assessed the security situation and Police deployment. Since his visit the security situation has improved, peace and normalcy has been restored in the affected areas in the State.
“The Police Special Investigation Team, comprising the Intelligence Response Team ( IRT), Special Tactical Squad (STS) and Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU) led by Commissioner of Police, IGP Monitoring Unit deployed to Plateau State have commenced investigation and had recorded significant progress in getting to the root of the killings of innocent people.
“The following suspects are now in Police custody and the listed exhibits recovered from them. They are assisting the Police investigation Team with useful information in the further investigation into the incident.
Suspects:
1. Biliaminu Abdullahi
2. Samaila Saleh
3. Muhammadu Kabiru
4. Aminu Mohammed
5. Alhassan Saidu
6. Abubakar Adam
7. Gazali Isah
8. Hamza Inusa
9. Yahuza Yau
10. Dahiru Ahmed
11. Friday Musa
Exhibits
i. Five (5) AK47 Rifles
ii. Two (2) Live Cartridges
“The Nigeria Police Force is assuring the people of Plateau State of adequate security of lives and property in the State and hereby implored them to support the Police personnel deployed in their localities to sustain the peace that have been restored to the State. However, members of the public in the State in distress or with information for the Police Special Intervention Force and the investigation team can use the following numbers: 07059473022, 08038907662, 08075391844, and 09053872296”Top of Form
