Ndudi Anyim
The Defence Headquarters has refuted claims of massive killings and destruction of houses and properties by troops in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State.
While reports have suggested that troops had launched an attack on Konshisha, the Acting Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, stated that the stories making the rounds are fabricated by bandits and their sponsors to smear the image of the military after murdering troops in cold blood.
Nwachukwu disclosed that 12 soldiers who were on their way to replenish their colleagues deployed to restore peace following the incessant cases of communal clashes between the people of Konshisha and Oju over boundary demarcation, were killed in the area.
He said while the soldiers were on their way, they were seized at a checkpoint mounted by “Bonta Boys” and taken into Konshisha forest where they were all brutally murdered and burnt.
Adding that military reinforcements was sent to the area after the killing of the soldiers, Nwachukwu said over 500 bandits still came out and attacked the troops.
In a statement, the Acting Director, Defence Information narrated all that transpired. He said: “ The attention of the Defence Headquarters is drawn to numerous publications in the media and other online blogs reporting massive killing and destruction of houses and other property by the military in Konshisha LGA of Benue State.
“ The Defence Headquarters which has oversight responsibility for Operation WHIRL STROKE deployed to maintain peace in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States, has deemed it necessary to refute these spurious allegations and put the records straight.
“ There have been incessant cases of communal clashes in recent times between the people of Konshisha and Oju over boundary demarcation. As part of efforts to resolve the crisis, the Benue State Government held series of meetings with stakeholders from both local governments with a view to arriving at amicable solution to the problem.
“ Appreciable progress has been made and a final date fixed for all stakeholders to meet in the disputed areas to fully demarcate the boundary so that peace could reign. Trouble however started on the eve of the final meeting during Easter holiday, with reports that fresh fighting has broken out in the area.
“ All along, 72 Special Forces Battalion has troops deployed on the Oju side of the boundary and troops of the Battalion were on their way to replenish their colleagues on April 5, when they were attacked by armed bandits at Bonta in Konshisha. The troops who were under command of a Captain were seized at a checkpoint mounted by the so called “Bonta Boys” and taken into Konshisha forest where they were all brutally murdered.
“ Not satisfied with killing the soldiers, the bandits proceeded to burn all the eleven soldiers and their officer beyond recognition while their weapons and ammunition were carted away. Military reinforcements were dispatched to Bonta the following morning. Unfortunately, the reinforcement also came under attack from close to 500 armed youths who by this time had fully occupied Bonta. ”
He stated that the number of youths involved in the attacks suggests that the armed bandits cannot be from Bonta alone, but were joined by bandits from other parts of Konshisha LGA.
Maintaining that only 10 bandits were killed during a gun battle with troops, the Defence spokesperson challenged anyone with evidence of a massacre to present it.
“ The military repelled the attack after more than four hours of intense fighting during which military helicopter provided close air support to ground troops. Ten armed bandits were killed during the fight with the rifle of one of the Killed-In-Action soldiers recovered from the bandits who fell casualty during the exchange of fire.
“ The Defence Headquarters wish to put it on record that apart from this initial 10 bandits, there are no other civilian casualties recorded in any part of Konshisha till date. We therefore challenge anybody from Konshisha to present to the public the 200, 70 or 30 dead bodies of innocent persons, male, female or children killed by troops in Konshisha.
“ There was never a massacre as being touted by some mischief makers. The remnants of the armed bandits that escaped from Bonta withdrew into neighbouring villages where they kept on attacking troops as they continued with the search operation through Bonta into other parts of Konshisha. Knowing the implications of killing troops in cold blood, most of the villagers fled their homes which were then occupied by armed bandits who kept firing at troops from the settlements as they advanced into Konshisha.
“ Troops repelled the attacks and destroyed the houses and other buildings which the criminals used as hideout for the attacks. The use of abandoned settlements by armed bandits to attack troops is popular with insurgents. The aim is to draw military fire into the dwellings and then turn round to blame soldiers for the destruction.
“ This is common guerilla tactics armed bandit designed to whip up public sentiment against security forces and this is what played out in Konshisha. This accounts for some of the burnt houses being reported in the press. Some of the phones of the dead soldiers were also tracked to some of the settlements. We should therefore blame the armed bandits for the destruction since they used these settlements as hideout for attacks, ” he said.
Nwachukwu added that some of the buildings said to have been burnt, were actually burnt during earlier communal clashes between Konshisha and Oju, all of which he said the sponsors of the mayhem are now blaming on the military.
He stated that the soldiers deployed to Konshisha displayed commendable restraints by adhering to the rules of engagement in the face of unprovoked attacks and therefore deserve accolades.
The Defence Spokesperson insisted that in addition to the return of all carted away weapons, the local leaders of Konshisha must bring the main actors responsible for the mayhem to security forces to face justice.
“ They must also surrender all other weapons in their possession. The military will not tolerate the jungle justice attitude and dastardly acts leading to the gruesome murder of patriotic soldiers on legitimate duty to keep the peace. We look forward to working with the Benue State Government in its promise to support security forces in fishing out those fomenting trouble in Konshisha.
“ Once again, there is no massacre in Konshisha and the stories making the rounds are fabricated by bandits and their sponsors to smear the military after murdering troops in cold blood, ” he said.