Army Chief, Police Inspector-General Receive Petitions To Probe Governor Aides For Using Soldiers, Policemen To Brutal!se APC Members
The petitioners, who filed the petition through their legal representative, Hanaze, Wendeh & Associates law firm, accused Moses and Tsav of illegal use of soldiers and policemen to harass and beat members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) destroying APC activities in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State on Youth Mobilisation and Empowerment, Moses Mkeenem and one Iordoo Terungwa Demian, have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, against two of Governor Alia’s associates, Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav.
The petitioners, who filed the petition through their legal representative, Hanaze, Wendeh & Associates law firm, accused Moses and Tsav of illegal use of soldiers and policemen to harass and beat members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) destroying APC activities in the state.
The petitioners, who alleged that the governor’s associates used the personnel of the Nigerian Army and the police to commit assorted crimes and breaches of human rights of citizens in the state, demanded the sum of N5,000,000 in damage for alleged attack on and beating of Demian by the security personnel acting on the duo’s order.
According to the petition seen dated August 29, 2024 and seen by SaharaReporters on Friday, the petitioners said that for some time now, the duo of Moses and Tsav, who hail from Kwande and Konshisha local government areas of Benue State respectively, have been going about with armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force.
The petitioners said “The two (Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav) attend political party rallies/gatherings in the cordon of armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force.
“A recent photograph of the duo of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav (who are wearing white apparels) being cordoned by armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force at a political gathering in Adikpo, Kwande Local Government, Benue State is hereto annexed for your view and consideration.
“These armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force, who always form a ring round the duo of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav, happily beat, intimidate, assault, harass and molest Nigerian citizens at the behest of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav.
“The armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force are ever ready to take and act on directives from the duo of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav.”
The petitioners further alleged that on August 23, 2024, at a political gathering in APC State Secretariat in Makurdi, the State capital, Moses and Tsav “Instructed their armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force to beat up stalwarts of the APC.”
They said “At the behest of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force beat up many APC faithfuls and injured many.
“In the aforementioned incident of beating of APC members in the Party Secretariat on 23/08/2024 by armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force at the behest of TernengeMoses and Livinus Tsav, our 2nd Client, Iordoo Terungwa Demian, was severely brutalized, dehumanized and beaten to blankness by armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force at the behest of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav.”
The petition noted, “Our clients believe that assuming, without conceding, that the armed personnel of the Nigerian Army, with whom the duo of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav go about, are lawfully assigned the duty of protecting the duo, such protection ought to be confined to guarding and protecting them, but that is not the case.
“Rather, the duo of Ternenge Moses and Livinus Tsav are utilising personnel of the Nigerian Army as their Private Army and Assault Squadron, whom they whimsically instruct to beat, intimidate, assault, harass and molest Nigerian citizens.
“This situation is severely dragging the stellar name and qualities of the Nigerian Army to filth.
“It is in view of the foregoing facts and circumstances and in view of our Clients’ instructions to us that we address this correspondence to your good office and pray as follows:
“That your good office should cause the dehumanisation of our 2nd Client, Iordoo Terungwa Demian, to be redressed with the payment of the sum of Five Million Naira Only (N5,000,000.00)
“That your good office should activate and apply appropriate disciplinary procedures against the errant and rogue personnel of the Nigerian Army.
“Our Clients also informed us of their confidence in the Nigerian Army, which is known for high discipline and observance of the Rule of Law.
“Our Clients believe that the Nigerian Army will continue to exhibit zero tolerance for unlawful conduct of its personnel.”
