Murder Charges: Gov. Ortom Urges ‘Repentant’ Benue Militant To Surrender To Police

Benue-Arms-AmnestyGovernor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged ‘repentant’ militant in the state, Terwase Akwaza, popularly known as Ghana, to turn himself in to the police and clear himself of murder charges preferred against him.

Akwaza was one of the prominent gang leaders granted amnesty by the state government in September last year after he surrendered his weapons.

Speaking when he addressed a church gathering at Mkar in Gboko area of the state yesterday, Gov. Ortom said he had advised the gang leader to report to the police in connection with the murder of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Security, the late Denen Igbana.

The late Igbana reportedly mentioned Akwaza’s name as among his killers before he died.

Mr. Ortom said the state Security Council had resolved that if the accused did not voluntarily report to the police, the security agencies would fish him out wherever he is.

According to him, some criminals conspired and eliminated his aide, who he noted, contributed immensely to the success of the amnesty programme in the state and in resolving 13 kidnapping cases.

The governor stressed that the killing of his aide was meant to remove obstacles from the part of the criminals, vowing however, that his administration would not surrender the state to them.