Groups Dismiss Alleged Killing Of 70 In Benue

• “We appeal to the Nigerian Army to sustain the onslaught against these criminal elements.”

The Coalition of Benue State Civil Society for Peace and Good Governance has disputed the allegation that over 70 people were killed by Nigerian Army soldiers in the state’s Konshisha Local Government Area.

While clearing the Nigerian Army of any wrongdoings in the region, the CSOs insisted that, contrary to claims made by an anonymous party, the Army had followed its rules of engagement.

The organization stated that its decision was based on an impartial on-the-spot fact-finding evaluation of the troubled region.

The army is currently conducting operations in the region to recover weapons that were carted away by criminal elements who killed 11 army personnel who were on duty last week.

The group’s National Chairman, Dr Elijah Shima, and National Secretary, Rev Tergnu Nyamvia, issued a statement urging the Army to continue the assault and retrieve the missing weapons.

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The coalition described the group, Shangev-Tiv Assembly Club House, Gungul which it noted had raised the alarm of killings of 70 locals by men of the Nigerian Army in Konshisha as not only faceless but also a mouthpiece of the late militia leader, Gana’s group.

“As civil society organizations working for peace in Benue State and other parts of the North Central states, we are concerned about reports circulated on social media and other media outlets by one party claiming to be in the Konshisha Local Government Area of the state,” it said.

“This faceless and unpatriotic organization made many unfounded and wide allegations of human rights abuses against the Nigerian Army,” the coalition said. They also said that 70 people had been killed.

“Surprisingly, after several inquiries from residents and elites in the affected local government, we discovered that no such party exists.

“After going around the troubled region to see for ourselves, we can say that no innocent people were killed, aside from bad elements killed during engagements with the troops.