TheCable

A group identified as the Vanguard Against Tiv Massacre (VATIM) has condemned the reported military bombardment of communities in Benue state, saying there is no justification for such.

The activists said on Tuesday that the action is part of the military’s tradition of “levelling down communities” to revenge infractions against their personnel.

Benue residents recently raised an alarm that soldiers reportedly killed dozens of villagers during an invasion in Konshisha and Gwer East LGAs.

The invasion followed the death of 11 soldiers said to have been killed by youths suspected to be bandits.

Although the defence headquarters admitted carrying out an operation in the state, it said troops were after suspected bandits who were occupying houses deserted by the villagers.

“The Defence Headquarters wishes to put it on record that apart from these initial 10 bandits, there are no other civilian casualties recorded in any part of Konshisha till date,”  Onyema Nwachukwu, DHQ spokesperson, had also said.

In a statement issued by Stephen Agusah and Irene Awunah, its chairman and convener respectively, VATIM said the government must investigate the incident to ensure justice.

“The alleged action by the youth is reprehensible but not enough justification for the military bombardment of so many villages stretching several kilometres from the alleged crime scene, destroying homes and livelihoods and leaving many civilian residents homeless, without food and clothing,” it said.

“We are, however, concerned about the involvement of soldiers and the militarisation of civil issues, considering that this was a case of inter-communal clash that could have been handled by relevant police departments, such as the mobile police unit.

“All over the world, collective punishment which targets family, friends and communities of suspected criminal elements is a violation of the laws relating to war and is against the spirit and letters of the Third and Fourth Geneva Convention, Hague Regulations and several other military manuals worldwide, including Nigeria.”

The group also said it is a failure of intelligence on the part of the military to bombard communities in the hope of smoking out criminals.

“The action, in our view, is in furtherance of the wrongly established military tradition of levelling down communities in revenge for infractions against their officers and men, as was the case in Zaki Biam in Benue State and Odi in Bayelsa State, many years back,” it said.

“This resort to self-help and jungle justice without regard for the rights of the people and the impact of the actions on their lives and livelihoods is barbaric and should not be condoned.

“We urge the military to immediately cease the bombardment even as we call on the federal government to cause an investigation into the immediate and remote reasons for the deployment of military troops for internal security duties, how they were overpowered and killed by civilians and the resort to the bombardment of communities, leading to violation of the fundamental human rights of the members of those communities.

“Membership of such an investigation panel should be comprised of traditional rulers and youth groups from both Okpute and Bonta communities and civil society organisations (CSOs).”