Negotiators of Gana’s aborted amnesty fear for dear lives

TRACKING___Dr. Richard Gbande representing Logo/Ukum/Katsina-Ala Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and others who negotiated the surrender of the killed militia leader, Terwase Agwaza (alias Gana), and his gang are now afraid of their safety.

The negotiators are leaders of the Sankera geopolitical bloc.

The lawmaker made his fears known while speaking to newsmen yesterday in Makurdi, Benue State.

Gbande decried the impression in his constituency (Sankera) that the religious, traditional, and political leaders from the area who negotiated the surrender of Gana and his gang only planned to hand them over to the military.

Gana, who was in the company of Sankera leaders, was intercepted and killed by the military on their way to Makurdi for the amnesty promised by Governor Samuel Ortom.

He said: “The way Gana was killed by the military has created the impression that we lured him to his killers. It is sad because our youths will not believe whatever we tell them anymore.

“As it is, we are also scared because 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 we, the leaders, ensured that he embraced amnesty and in doing so he got killed by the military, creates the impression out there that we sold him out, which is completely untrue.”

Gbande described Gana’s death in the hands of the military as extra-judicial killing, even as he said he had been consistent in condemning the reign of terror that Gana unleashed on his constituents.

“The rule of law and international humanitarian laws are sacrosanct and must always prevail; hence the extra-judicial killing of suspects is unacceptable.”

While recommending the re-orientation of Nigerian security operatives on the protection of citizens’ rights, the lawmaker appealed to his constituents to remain calm and law-abiding.

He called on the government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the militia leader and take further measures to address social, political, economic, and environmental challenges that breed banditry and criminality in the region.