By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Benue State Civil Protection Guards, BSCPG, has debunked reports that three of its personnel were killed by armed herdsmen at Gyaluwa, Gwer West Local Government Area, LGA, of the state which triggered unrest in the area.

Last Tuesday, irate youths in Naka, Gwer West LGA burnt down the Local Government Council Secretariat, the palace of the community’s monarch and the property of prominent individuals from the area after three youths alleged to be personnel of the BSCPG were killed at Gyaluwa community while on duty.

Commander of BSCPG, Capt Ayuma Ajobi (retd), said on Saturday that a viral video where individuals claimed that personnel of the Guards were killed by armed herdsmen was false and misleading.

Capt Ajobi said, “I want to make it categorically clear that the video going viral on what happened on Tuesday at Naka, especially concerning the alleged killing of BSCPGs members, is not true.

“Whoever is peddling such rumours or information is wronged because he did not consult us as authority to brief him adequately.

“I am the accounting officer of my men and I know the number of men under my command. I know them by their names. They are under my authority and anytime they are going out for operation, they are giving operation order.

“The people mentioned are not part of us and they went for the operation on their own. None of my men followed them on that operation. So, I want to refute the claim that those killed were our men. Those that died are Terfa Agbe, Ikyange Ayua and somebody called Ushiri. I have cross-checked my nominal roll, the list of people under my command and they do not exist. They are not my men, I do not know them. All I can say is that they are local youths of that community.”

Also, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, who condemned the misinformation, said he saw the viral video supposedly made by the Local Government Council Chairman and the Monarch alleging that members of BSCPG were killed which led to the rampage.

He said: “It is not true. No member of BSCPG was killed, so if a group decided for political reasons or for criminal reasons to go and burn down a local government secretariat and other places, it is condemnable.

“While we sympathize with those affected, I want to state here that they didn’t do that because BSCPG members were killed. No BSCPG member was killed. Everyone is intact. No member of the CPG is allowed to go for an attack except with operation orders. No such orders were given to anybody and no attack was done by the BSCPG let alone being killed.”

He explained that the BSCPG was concerned with the protection of lives and property and working in conjunction with conventional security.

According to him, “The mandate of the BSCPG as first responders is to raise a flag and the conventional security, in synergy, would help to neutralize or defeat the enemy.”

Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Godwin Malu, noted that “all the messages on the said video were not correct, because from the last check on BSCPG in Gwer West no member was deployed or authorized to go anywhere in the cause of what happened in Naka.”