M-Belt Forum Asks Buhari To Set Up Panel On Kaduna Killings, Faults Army’s Claim On Gen Alkali's Killing!

"The recent killing of Major General Idris Alkali, retd, in Dura-Du District, Jos South local government area of Plateau State, yesterday, took a different dimension as the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, faulted the findings of the military authorities on the demise of the senior officer," vanguradngr.com reports.

The MBF, which was reacting for the first time to the death of Maj. Gen. Alkali, who was said to have been murdered by irate youths on the September 3, 2018, while travelling alone in his car from Abuja to Bauchi State, noted that the claim by the military authorities didn’t accord with the logic of the incident.

The group, which questioned the Military’s claim that the late Maj. Gen. Alkali was on his way to Bauchi, but was found dead in Du, noted that Du was far from the road to Bauchi. The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, raised the fresh dust in a communiqué issued at the end of its extra-ordinary National Executive Committee at Akwanga, Nasarawa State. The communiqué, tagged “The Akwanga Declaration” and signed by the President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus and Chairman, Planning Committee, Mark Jacob, respectively, read: “This claim by the military authorities is not logical for the following reasons: Obe emerges coordinator APC Isoko progressives “Du is far removed from the road to Bauchi. It is, indeed, located at the far western flank of the road to Bauchi and unless, for some inexplicable reason, the deceased general was in Du and not on his way to Bauchi as claimed. “As a general that retired recently, it is inconceivable that the deceased would be driving himself on a trip through a high conflict area without a driver or his orderly, unless for some inexplicable reasons he had an assignment that required secrecy in the area.”

While describing as “unfortunate and condemnable the death of General Alkali and the 18 civilians killed in the latest Jos conflict, the Middle Belt Forum noted that the steps taken so far in the purported investigation had been carried out by the military in a manner characterized by harassment, torture and other violations of the rights of innocent citizens.

“The Forum calls on the military to withdraw and hand over the investigation to the Nigeria Police that has the constitutional responsibility and expertise to do so. 

“The Middle Belt Forum reiterates its demand on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately set up a commission of inquiry into the cause(s) of the unending killings in Kaduna State over time. “The Federal Government should take full control of the situation in the state in order to avert a further breakdown of law and order.” Read More Here