By Amos Aar
A member of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guard (BSCVG), Peter Ejembi, has been killed by hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers.
According to BSCVG’s zonal Commander in charge of zone C, Mr William Agada, who spoke with National Record in a telephone interview on Thursday, Ejembi was killed by abductors on Wednesday, 16th November, 2022 at Okwungaga, Ugbokolo, Okpokwu local government area of Benue State.
Mr Agada said the BSCVG Officer, who hailed from Ondo, Ugbokolo in Edumoga district, died as a result of injuries sustained from bullet during a gun duel between the kidnappers and joint security forces.
“A vehicle was conveying passengers from Onitsha to Otukpo. So, those kidnappers waylaid and kidnapped everybody in the bus. So, the news went round and they [volunteer guards] got information and they formed a team with the police and went to the bush to rescue the victims because some villagers saw them in the bush. Their village is Ondo under Ugbokolo council ward. When they went to the bush and saw those people, they opened fire on them.
“This very boy that they killed was able to rescue three of the kidnapped victims,” Agada narrated.
According to him, the three victims rescued by the fallen BSCVG Officer were Terna Tersoo, Gilbert and Andrew [Ngukpen].
Agada added: “When they were about going, the kidnappers opened fire and shot one of the guards on the hand and as they didn’t expect the gunfire, everybody started running in different directions because the gunfire was much. When they regrouped, they discovered that one person was missing and the police went back to search and they found Ejembi dead on the ground.”
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sewuese Anene, also confirmed the incident in statement on Wednesday.
“On 15/11/2022 at about 2330hrs, information was received that a Toyota Hiace bus enroute Otukpa-Onitsha was attacked by suspected kidnappers who abducted some passengers in the vehicle.
“A joint patrol team made up of the police, military and vigilante operating within the area moved swiftly to the scene for a rescue operation.
“After an intense gun duel, the kidnappers abandoned the vehicle and took to their heels. Three victims were rescued and the said bus recovered,” the statement stated in part.
National Record however observed that what sounded like a successful rescue operation was not completely so as Anene said an officer of the BSCVG was killed in the process.
“While chasing the kidnappers into a nearby forest suspected to be their hideout, they came across one Peter Ejembi, a member of the Benue State Volunteer Guards, who paid the supreme price with his life. His corpse has been recovered and deposited at Bethel Morgue, Otukpa”.
Speaking further on the killings and kidnappings going on in Benue Zone C axis, the BSCVG zone C Commander, Mr Williams Agada, revealed details about the operations of the hoodlums and the challenges militating against the outfit’s operations.
“The problem with that axis is that all the kidnappings and the robbery is not in the night, it is always between 3 o’clock or 4:30pm.
“The army have a military checkpoint there and the army used to withdraw by 3pm or so and it is not all the time that the police are there. When they kidnapped ANCOPSS president, they were not there. In fact, there was even one that they kidnapped a police checkpoint mounted by the police. That’s where they packed all of them in two buses,” Agada said.
Agada hinted of a planned synergy and change of security strategy between the BSCVG, police, army and other security agencies, but expressed worry about logistic problems hindering the operations of his outfit especially now that mobile checkpoint tactic is to be adopted. He lamented that such operations are better carried out using motorcycles which they don’t have.
Asked why the motorcycles displayed by the Benue State Government during the inauguration of the BSCVG over two months ago have not been given to them, the zonal commander said they were yet to see the motorcycles, stating that he did not know the reason either.
“The army, the police and the BSCVG held a meeting yesterday and they are to change their pattern to mobile checkpoint to enhance patrol in that axis. The only thing they complained about is that such tactics involve logistics.
“They have motorcycle but the volunteer guards do not have motorcycles and the motorcycle is very important in that kind of situation. They brought the motorcycles during the inauguration but they took them back and up till now, they have not given anybody a motorcycle.
“The army raised that issue yesterday. That this kind of operation is not only pickup vehicles that can do it, that’s why they have motorcycles,” Agada said.
But when contacted on phone to confirm the allegation of the motorcycles not distributed to the BSCVG, the Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Security, Col Paul Hemba (rtd), said all the motorcycles displayed during the inauguration of BSCVG at IBB Square, Makurdi were distributed to all the local governments.
“It is not true; we distributed the machines [motorcycles], including vehicles to the all the local governments and we are acquiring more to give them. We recognise that the machines [motorcycles] are not enough and the governor is acquiring more to give them.
“But to say that the machines [motorcycles] were not distributed at all is not correct. Where are those ones that were displayed during inauguration? Are they sold,” Hemba asked.
Several calls put to the BSCVG’s Sector Commander, Col Ayuma Ajobi, betweeb 11am to 1pm were not answered.
Speaking further on security issues, Mr William Agada expressed concern that the festive season is approaching and if proactive measures are not taken, the security situation in the state and Zone C in particular will get out of hand.
He revealed a trick being used by hoodlums during Christmas to rob passengers along Otukpo-Obi Road.
“In this period, there are some hotspots from Otukpo to Obi side. There are these people that will come with their vehicle, claiming they want to load passengers. They have their POS machine in their car and once they park passengers on the road side, they waylay them and say bring your ATM and they withdraw everything that you have in your bank account.”
