Governor Samuel Ortom has asked military authorities to release the 40 militias who were arrested after their leader, Terwase Akwaza a.k.a Gana was killed.
The Benue state Governor who said this after a five-hour security meeting at the Government House Makurdi on Friday September 11, also called for the release of some official vehicles purportedly confiscated by the military authorities.
Ortom disclosed that he is spearheading the call for the release of the repentant militias to enable them to embrace the amnesty programme of the state government.
He said;
“It is the resolve of this meeting, the expanded State Security Council meeting, that the repentant youths who were arrested by the military should be released so that they will continue from where they were coming to receive their amnesty and they were arrested.
“Also items that were confiscated, we are also appealing to the military to return them. Some of those vehicles were hired, some are official vehicles to our government officials. Some other things are documents. We appeal that all these be returned to us.”
On the death of Gana, Ortom averred that the Sankara people and the state is pained by the development.
The Governor who noted that nothing can be done to bring back the dead to life, added that they will engage the military rather than being confrontational while seeking clarification on Gana’s death.
Ortom said;
“We are going to find out the truth of what happened. That is what the entire stakeholders here are demanding to know because from the press statement and information to us gives us a cause to worry.
“We have resolved to move on and continue to interphase with the military and other security agencies to ensure that this kind of ugly incident does not happen again.”
