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From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service BIRS has raised alarm over the abduction, torture and killing of its staff by suspected soldiers of the 72 Special Forces Battalion (SFB) Nigeria Army, Makurdi, Benue State.
The Board, in a statement through its counsel, Mike Utsaha, lamented that only last week, a Barrier staff of the Service, Abubu Aondoakaa, was whisked away from his duty post and tortured almost to death by some soldiers.
He regretted that it was the same manner that soldiers from the same battalion allegedly abducted another staff identified as Sixtus Terfa Akure late last year and his corpse was later discovered by the roadside the next morning.
‘In the early hours of today, Monday, March 28, 2022, my attention was drawn to the unnerving fact that soldiers of 72 Special Forces Battalion (SFB) Nigeria Army, Makurdi, launched yet another attack on the hapless and defenceless staff of the BIRS stationed at the Board’s gazetted inspection point in North Bank, Makurdi.
‘In the process, whisked away Abubu Aondoakaa, a Barrier Assistant with BIRS, in a manner reminiscent of the abduction of Late Sixtus Terfa Akure.
‘As you are aware already, the circumstances under which the Late Sixtus was abducted, and his lifeless body found shortly thereafter, is currently the subject of an Inquest presided over by Judge VT Kor.’
Utsaha said that after subjecting Abubu Aondoakaa to sundry acts of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, characterised by the infliction of severe bodily harm, the soldiers threw him into a truck and drove off in Gestapo style.
He added that the soldiers later conveyed the victim, first to their Quater Guard at the Barracks, and thereafter had him briefly detained in their Guard Room, where he was further subjected to sundry acts of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.
‘Curiously, we are further informed, while the victim was illegally detained in the Guard Room in the barracks, the extent of his involvement in the ongoing inquest, and the role he has so far played therein, as a witness, became the subject of a hostile inquiry, by soldiers co-detainees in the Guard Room, suspected to be those responsible for the death of Sixtus.
‘We are, therefore, in utter shock and disbelief, that in the face of this ongoing judicial process, soldiers who are in the centre of complicity in the death of Sixtus, can even dare to launch yet another cowardly, barbaric and, yet very audacious attack on a public servant discharging public duties, at his duty post.
‘From whichever angle, one may look at this unfortunate situation, it is, at least in our respectful view, a crude attempt to invade the ongoing judicial process and, hopefully, bring about abuse of the judicial process. It is against the background of this conjecture that one may appreciate the conduct of these soldiers, otherwise, it is bewildering, to say the least,’ Utsaha stated.
He explained further that the Board had already lodged a formal complaint with the Attorney-General of Benue State Mr Michael Gusah, and the Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi branch, Mr Justin Gbagir.
Meanwhile, when our correspondent visited the victim at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital BSUTH where he is currently on admission and receiving treatment, he said he would have been killed by the attackers if not for the grace of God.
Reacting to the development, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 72 Special Forces Battalion, Lt Col MA Yusuf, assured that under his watch there is zero-tolerance for any act of misconduct by his men.
Yusuf who gave the assurance while playing host to the BIRS Chairman, Mrs Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, recently, appreciated the Chairman and Governor Samuel Ortom for prevailing on the people not to protest following the unfortunate incidents.
The commander who noted that he had only been posted newly to the command promised to investigate the alleged case properly.
Lt Col Yusuf assured the chairman of his readiness to work closely with her to forestall a recurrence of such acts henceforth as well relate cordially with the host community.
