By Austin Angwe, Makurdi
Benue Police Command has confirmed the death of four persons hit by stray bullets following a gun battle between personnel of the Nigerian Army who were on patrol during which they ran into hoodlums carrying firearms on a motorcycle around Ikpengezwa community in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
Police Commissioner in Benue State, Ifeanyi Emenari, who made the confirmation yesterday in Makurdi, when he hosted members of Forum of Investigative Journalists who were in his office to clarify serious security matters explained that the victims were hit by stray bullets, but argued that it was not clear whose stray bullets killed the victims because of the fire exchange.
Emenari equally denied the version that the Army personnel opened fire on mourners returning from the burial of a kindred head in the area or became angry after their request for financial gratification from the burial committee to accompany the corpse of the traditional ruler was turned down, stressing that the army officers were on their official patrol of the area which has suffered herdsmen attacks for many years contrary to claims that the army officers have been attached to a Chinese mining company.
He gave further clarifications that the army deployed to the area have been there to maintain peace, adding that while on patrol the team sighted hoodlums carrying firearms and without provocation, the miscreants opened fire on the patrol van a development that ignited cross fire which led to the unfortunate death of the innocent victims.
The Benue CP who said the aim of the patrol is to wipe out bandits and terrorists in the area to ensure that the people enjoy peace, insisted that the army personnel did not opened fire on any innocent person as claimed in some section of the media, assuring that the police and other security agencies will continue to sustain the synergy to flush out terrorists and bandits killing innocent people, particularly women and children in Sankera and other parts of the state suffering insecurity.
Emenari who said all hands must be on deck to maintain a peaceful society,urged stakeholders in the state to join hands with the police by exposing criminal elements through providing useful and timely information that would lead to arrest and prosecution of criminals, assuring Benue people that with their cooperation criminals will have no hiding place as far as he remains the commissioner of police in the state.
He noted that positive reportage encourage criminals to have more strength to commit atrocities such as killing innocent people and robbery, commending journalists in the state for balanced and positive reportage, advising media practitioners operating in the state to always remain constructive in criticisms.
In a remark leader of the Forum of Investigative Journalists,FoIJ, Tamenor Kwaghzer, said the team was in the CP’s office to congratulate him on his posting to the state and to seek synergy as well as make clarifications on serious security issues bedeviling the state.
Kwaghzer lauded efforts of CP Emenari in reducing crime rate within his short assumption of office, appealing for police collaboration on behalf of the forum in its effort to expose perpetrators of corruption and other criminal activities and assured the force of maximum cooperation in the fight against criminality.