Benue State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Akpen Leva Friday called on the Federal Government to abort the decision to withdraw troops of Operation Whirl Stroke in the troubled areas of Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states.

Rev. Leva, who was reacting to the decision by government to withdraw the troops particularly in Benue State, noted that the state was not yet safe for the withdrawal of the military and any attempt to do so would endanger the communities and a lot of casualties would be recorded.

The Federal Government through the Acting Director of Information, Directorate of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, had informed Nigerians that the “decision to withdraw troops is because the peace mission has been achieved in troubled communities.”

Nwachukwu had noted that from the troubled areas in Benue, Taraba and Nassarawa states, it was clear there was no more threat to lives and properties, as according to him; “there are no more reports of herdsmen attacks on farmers, or reports of kidnapping and armed robbery as peace, tranquillity and other missions for the deployment of troops has been archived”.

But the CAN Chairman, in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Sam Tyav, argued that peace has not returned to such areas explaining that pockets of killings have continued in the state by the herdsmen and wondered why the Federal Government has taken the decision to withdraw the troops from the state even as there are still threats of attacks by the herdsmen.

The cleric, however, commended the government on the work towards attainment of peace in the state, pointing out that the troops have foiled serious attempts aimed at attacking communities by the herdsmen that would have been bloody even as they also arrested some herdsmen and handed them over to the police for prosecution. (New Telegraph)

Update news