Police arrest soldier over killing of youth in Benue

The Area Commander, Police Area Command Gboko, ACP Edmund Afraimu, has confirmed the arrest of a soldier over the extra-judicial killing of a youth at Dangote Cement Plant in Gboko on Monday.

Though Afraimu said that it was not within the jurisdiction of his office to issue official statements, he admitted that he did indeed give orders for the arrest of the soldier who shot a youth.

The young man identified as Aboy Bonny popularly known as ‘Changes’ is a popular youth around the area.

An eye-witness, Terhemba, said the incident occurred between 6:00 am and 7:00 am, he was on his way to work when some soldiers in an open truck chased the youth who was in a red Toyota Carina 2.

He said that one of the soldiers opened fire and the car veered off the road into a nearby farm and the boy slumped out of the driver’s seat and fell dead on the ground.

When The Guardian arrived at the scene of the incident by 8:00 am, the body was still lying beside the open door of the Toyota Carina 2 with registration number AE 625 MGB. A crowd gathered and members of his family were seen wailing.

Some youths in the increasingly restive crowd sandwiched the corpse on a Bajaj motorcycle between two young men and went in protest to the factory.

The irate crowd smashed the windscreen of some vehicles parked around the company’s entrance in protest. The body of the slain young man was laid at the entrance to the administrative block.

It took the intervention of the Gboko local government council chairman Verlumun Avar and the community’s leaders to calm down the situation.

The President of the Jemgbagh Development Association Prince Yandev Amaabai, the President of the Yion Development Association Orver Yongu, His Royal Highnessess Mue Ter Gboko Ikpa Ahua and Igba Tsegba after a closed-door meeting with the management of the company appealed to the protesters to calm down and allow the elders and community leaders to handle the situation.

When The Guardian contacted the Plant Director, Louise Raj, he expressed frustration with the activities of the military personnel stationed at the factory site.

Raj said that the soldiers posted at the factory were not answerable to the management nor heed their instructions or advise.

Similarly, many villagers spoken to by The Guardian also complained about the high-handedness of the soldiers at the factory.

Sachia Jov, a youth leader told The Guardian that the soldiers mount roadblocks on roads leading to the villages and extort passers-by.

In March 2014, seven youths were shot and killed by soldiers guarding the Dangote Cement Plant Gboko in very hazy circumstances. The host community sued Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) but the matter was eventually settled out of court.

The remains of the slain youth were deposited at the General Hospital Gboko by the police in the company of the family and community leaders.