Community Threaten Legal Action Against Military Illegal Invasion In Plateau
By Daniel Agada, Jos
Dakunji concern citizens forum of Turu, Vwang District, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State has threatened to drag the Military Task Force mandated to keep peace on the Plateau, operation safe Haven, OPSH, to Court for invading the village and forcefully arrested the former transitional committee Secretary of the Local Government Hon. Davou Nyango for no justification.
The chairman of the forum Mr. Pam Lowang while addressing Journalists in Jos on Friday, said that on the 13th September 2021, the Officers and men of the Nigerian Military under the Operation Safe Haven in Jos at the wee hours illegally invaded the residence of Nyango’s unlawfully and forcefully apprehended and detained him without knowledge of the crime he was alleged to have committed.
The community accused the task force who invaded Dakunji village operated for three hours at the house of Hon. Nyango forcefully destroyed his do and whisked him away to an unknown destination after shooting sporadically on the air without informing the constituted authority in the community of his where about.
According to the chairman, the arm Military men numbered over 15-30 invaded the community without notifying the community on why the invasion. Adding that even the sector commander of sector on inquiry denied ever having knowledge of such invasion and unlawful arrest in his jurisdiction.
The chairman said that in the process of the forceful arrest by the military officers who detained Nyango for 9 days without being granted bail.
Lowang said that while Hon. Nyango was in the military custody was beaten and in the process had his right eye wounded. Adding that the most annoyed aspect was that the military refused to charge or arraigned Nyango to court for over eight days while in their custody.
However, the chairman of the forum said ” constitutionally, the fundamental rights of Hon. Nyango has been grossly infringe upon and we immediately asked the Chief of Defense staff and the Chief of Army Staff to direct the GOC and Commander Operation Safe Haven to thoroughly investigate this gross abuse of rules of engagement for their overzealousness, and accordingly compensate the community and the victim.
The community also demanded that the military should repair the house of Hon.Nyango destroyed during the invasion, should be compensated from the trauma inflicted on his person and settle his medical bills immediately as well the military should stop any further action relating to but not limited to invading their nooks and crannies.
While reacting, spokesman of Operation Safe Haven Major Ishaku Takwa confirmed the incident to our reporter, saying that Hon. Nyango was picked up following a suspect that was arrested by the military who, during interrogation mentioned the name of the victim (Hon.Nyango) which prompted his immediate arrest.
Major Takwa added that after interrogating Hon. Nyango, ” he was immediately released health and hearty without any molestation by the military, describing those allegations leveled against the military as mischievous”.
