Benue bandits shunned govt’s olive branch, says Alia

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has reported that local bandits terrorising the Sankera axis of the state have rejected measures put in place to rehabilitate them.

The governor made this statement on Sunday in Makurdi while reviewing the activities of bandits in Ukum, Katsina-Ala, and Logo LGAs, which constitute the Sankera axis.

The Sankera axis has remained a flashpoint of criminality over the years, and the killing of their kingpin, Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana, by the military in 2020 worsened the security situation in the axis as his former associates split into rival groups.

The state Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Matthew Abo, told our correspondent that the bandits had turned down all entreaties to hold peace meetings with the government.

The bandits had accused the state government of betrayal for not fulfilling its promises to grant them amnesty.

Speaking on the issue, the governor said that his administration had extended an olive branch to the bandits, but they rejected it.

He said, “During my campaign, I told every faceless group in all the zones creating instability in the state to sheathe their swords. A new government is coming to liberate them and get them out of the bush. They should stop killing their very siblings, and that is what I have been trying to do.

“I offered to sponsor those who wished to go to school, to help them recreate their lives, and for those inclined towards trades, I offered skills training to help them earn a living. We would fund their establishment after acquiring the skills.

“All these measures were to enable them to come out of the bushes and stop destabilising the LGAs and killing their people.”

The governor regretted that some bandits who had accepted the offer and planned to leave the bushes were killed by rival groups in the guise of superiority.

“Unfortunately, those who were inclined to come out were attacked and caught in fights for superiority within the bushes,” he added.

Alia also accused some politicians of sponsoring the bandits, which he said had complicated the instability on the axis.

“For many years, there have been skirmishes and instability in the Ukum area, and most of this instability is not from outsiders. It’s the homegrown bandits who are killing their people and preventing them from going to the farm.

“The so-called Abuja politicians are the ones sponsoring and supporting these bandits.”

The governor, however, said that his administration would not relent in talking to the bandits to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign in the area.

“We cannot stop talking to them. I have extended numerous olive branches to them,” the governor concluded.