39 Nigerian Soldiers Attack Benue Community Over A Girl Friend

The lack of respect for human rights by some bad eggs in the Nigerian Armed Forces came to the fore yesterday when 39 soldiers from the Nigeria Army School of Military Engineering (NASME), attacked a community in north bank area of Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

The soldiers, who reportedly went berserk, vandalised over 100 vehicles and made away with mobile phones, TV set, radio and other personal effects belonging to the residents.

The rampaging soldiers also beat up the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Samuel Attah while the windshield of his new Toyota Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), was smashed.

According to THE NATION, the soldiers went on rampage because a girl courted by one of them was given out in marriage to another man in the Hausa-dominated community.
Governor Samuel Ortom, who returned from Abuja on hearing the news, immediately visited the community.

Ortom, who toured the affected areas, said about 33 of the soldiers involved in the incident have been arrested and detained according to a brief from the commandant.
A visibly disappointed Ortom, who commiserated with the victims, stressed that the era of impunity was over, vowing that the soldiers who committed the act must be sanctioned.

He said: “No soldier will go scot free. This is senseless, this is madness. My heart is bleeding with blood. Why should those who are supposed to protect us turn their guns against us?

“This is unacceptable and it would be the last attack on Hausa community who are peace -loving”.

Gov. Ortom also commended the Commissioner of Police and Hausa community for not reacting to the needless provocation, promising to get to the bottom of the matter.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) leader of the Hausa and Muslim community, Sheik Ibrahim Aliyu, informed the governor that it was the fourth time the soldiers were attacking them.