Jide Ajani, Taye Obateru, Isiaka Oyibo, Peter Duru
11 January 2009
The spate of confusion triggered by Federal Government's bid to probe the last public disturbance in Jos is degenerating after Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State disowned, on Friday, the 26 alleged mercenaries who were arrested last week by the police in Jos for what the police suspected as a fresh attempt to set the state on fire.
The chairman of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Karaku, had told newsmen that the suspects who were arrested at Gengere/UTC area of Jos with 22 double-barrelled guns, eight cutlasses, army boots, tear gas cannisters, military uniforms, charms and fake identity cards bearing force headquarters Abuja, were members of a vigilance group from Bauchi contracted to help combat armed robbery in his domain.
Yet the General Emmanuel Abisoye - led panel of inquiry set up by the Federal Government to probe the crisis, and the counter panel led by one time Attorney-General of the federation, Prince Bola Ajibola, set up by the state government, are yet to sit.
Indeed, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has taken the Federal Government to court questioning its constitutional right to probe the crisis.
Only on Friday, the Hausa community fired a petition to the International Court of Justice, (ICJ) accusing the governor of genocide in the Jos mayhem.
The immediate past minister of state for information, Alhaji Ibrahim Nakande who is a leader of the Hausa community in Jos in an interview says Gov Jang issued the shoot on sight order that claimed lives during the crisis.
Plateau Govt sues FC
In the suit filed against the federal government, Governor Jang, is contending that the central government under the leadership of President Yar'Adua is breaching the provisions of the 1999 constitution by setting up the Abisoye panel to investigate the causes of the crisis in the state when the matter does not fall under either the exclusive or concurrent list.
The Plateau government wants a court order stopping the probe panel. To achieve quicker result, the Plateau Government has written a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), asking him to advise the Federal Government to respect the principle of lis pendis and halt its moves to probe the crisis, the matter having been submitted to law court for determination.
The letter entitled: "Demand for Respect for Rule of Law," a copy of which was obtained by Sunday Vanguard, wanted the AGF to advise the President to follow the path of rule of law which he had made one his seven-point agenda.
"We have no doubt that upon reading this letter and the processes attached, you would, in your characteristic manner, find it the least service you owe to the rule of law to advise the defendants to tread the path of the rule of law and direct the chairman and members of the administrative panel mentioned above not to sit or function until the Supreme Court will have determined the case," the state government said.
Okene LG Boss makes claim
Karaku at his press conference had said: "We make bold to say that the arrested persons are known to be vigilante men from Bauchi that have been at the service of our council area who have been in a joint patrol with the conventional police in maintaining peace in the area.
"We want to state that the legislative bus was provided temporarily to them for solve their mobility problem as the earlier one provided them by the state government was burnt", he said.
Kogi Gov., Idris, disowns claim
But in a swift reaction, Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State, disclaimed Karaku's claim that the arrested men were working in the state.
Governor Idris, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Phrank Shaubu, denied the chairman's claims saying "government never heard of the existence of any vigilante group hired from Bauchi to assist the Okene local government to curb crime."
Governor Idris said although government supports vigilante groups such groups "must be registered with the appropriate authorities and must be under the direct supervision of the Nigeria Police Force".
Plateau Govt Pursues Arrest of Council Chair
Simultaneously the Plateau Government called for the arrest of Alhaji Karaku.
Mr Dan Manjang, Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Governor Jonah Jang said the arrest of the chairman was necessary because he seemed to know much about the mission of the arrested suspects to Plateau State.
He said Karaku should not just be queried but be prosecuted alongside the other suspects arrested with prohibited arms and ammunition. Similarly to Special Adviser to the governor on Inter-Governmental Relations, said the clarification by the Kogi State Government disowning the suspected mercenaries had put to rest attempts to politicize or trivialize a purely security matter. He said:"the operations of vigilante groups are guided by law and no attempt should be make to undermine the efforts of the military and other security agencies on one hand and the Plateau State Government on the other to restore peace to the state."
Kogi Police defends vigilante group
However, the Police in Lokoja issued a statement claiming knowledge of the vigilante group.
The State Police Command said the accused persons were members of the Mayetti Allah vigilante group brought to the State to arrest cow thieves who were rampant in the state and also combat night armed robbery along Okpella-Okene-Lokoja-Kotonkarfe and Kabba Highways.
The Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Innocent Inalegwo, told newsmen in Lokoja that part of the funds made available to the command by the government, a sum of N100.000, was paid to the team on a monthly basis to assist them in areas of welfare and logistics.
According to the police spokesman, the "team which comprises men of the PMT personnel's had successfully eradicated robbery on the state highways in Okene.
Due to the achievement of the team, he said, Okene local Government Chairman on the request of the command provided them with a vehicle which they use for patrol.
"The leader of the team has on several occasions travelled to Bauchi, his home state before the crisis in Jos. Some of the trips are with the knowledge of the command and permission while some are without the command's knowledge.
"I am aware they use five single barrel shot guns. While the PMT personnel attached to them use AK-47 rifle. If they were arrested with prohibited fire arms, it was not issued by the command," he said.
Police avert fresh crisis in Jos over Gaza
Fresh trouble was averted in the Plateau State capital Friday as security men foiled attempts by a group to protest Israel's bombing of Gaza.
A combined team of the military and the police took strategic positions in the town especially identified flash points to forestall attempts by the group to hold any protest.
It was learnt that the group had applied to the police for permission to hold a peaceful demonstration against Israel but this was reportedly turned down.
However, rumour of the impending demonstration and its likelihood of resulting in another violence forced many shop owners close as the period for the Juma'at prayer approached.
Some said they heard that members of the group vowed to go ahead with the demonstration in defiance of the police but the heavy security presence apparently dissuaded them.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abubakar Umar could not be reached for comments as he was said to be out when journalists called at his office.
Meanwhile, a group known as Association for the Propagation of Islam in Different Languages {APIDL} asked religious leaders to preach love and tolerance and resist attempts by politicians to use religion as a political weapon.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
