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Gentlemen of the Press, good morning.
This is the second time we have had to release a press statement in the rather unfortunate situation going on in our land within the last 48hrs.
This is no doubt, a trying moment for the Bassa Nation. We are in a National mourning.
Today, even in grieve, our attention was yet drawn to a newspaper publication in one of the national dailies particularly, The Nation(online version) of 25/4/18 with regard to the crisis for which there is the need to put things in proper perspectives to set the records straight.
You would recall that on Monday the 23/4/18, BCYO made a statement available to the world detailing the situation and also indicating the fact that there were already palpable fears of a spill over effect in all the Bassa domiciled areas where there is presence of the Egbiras especially in Toto local government area and called on the government of Nasarawa State to act swiftly to forestall such break down of law and order, our cry failed to elicit any concern or the necessary action by the government until a repeat of Kpanche scenario showed its ugly head in Uygy on Tuesday the 24/4/18.
With all sense of responsibility, we wish to state that the position canvassed by one Yahaya Toto and the other unnamed alleged vigilante men as to the events that led into the crisis are completely at variance with the true position of things, as a matter of fact it is in the reverse order.
BCYO in its Press statement of 23/4/18, chronicled how a certain Alh. Khalid Burka, the Ohiogba of Mozun had always made reference to Panda/ugya and Toto crisis between the Bassas and Egburas and his claim of superior powers, the events playing out has vindicated our position.
On that ill-fated day (22/4/18) when Houses were rased and innocent people were killed in kpanche, it is on record that the Army in its press release stated that about 6 of the bandits were neutralized in the incident.
Not surprisingly, it now turned out that about two of the bandits (though we have said they are known faces) are the “commanders” of the group who were actually from the Panda/Toto areas who as usual have crossed to Bassa to execute the evil script and met their end as they were effectively “neutralized” by the military.
Shortly afterwards, the news of the “neutralization” of their commanders (whose names were given simply as Shuiabu and the other Latifa) flooded the Areas and naturally elicited heightened tension.
Indeed, it was the Egburas who started coming into town in their numbers and information had it that they went to pay their last respect to their neutralized leaders who apparently led the team that attacked Kpanche and its environs which the military successfully repelled and neutralised.
While this was happening, it was clear that tension was already heightened but the Bassas remained calm until the uncontrollable influx of the group that came with insignia of red colours and a couple of Bassas who could not stand the emotional trauma started leaving the villages to a relatively safer places.
What almost triggered the crisis was when two young bassa boys boarded a car from umuasha to ugya but were never seen again, until the Bassas had to involved the police whose concerted efforts could not get any lead as to the whereabouts of the boys. This led the DPO to appeal to the Bassas to remain calm while they continued to conduct investigation to unravel the situation; these are with respect verifiable facts.
However, even in the midst of this provocations the Bassas remained calm and everyone was going about their normal business but in a tension laden environment.
Things got out of hand when some Egbura youths apparently carrying out the instructions of their leaders started shooting sporadically in the air to attract attention as soon as the shooting started, the Bassas started running out for safety for which killing and burning of houses belonging to the Bassas followed.
Not too long into the incident the military were swiftly deployed to calm the situation but strangely, the military started shooting at the Bassas and as if now working as a team, the Egburas were behind burning houses, until our leaders reached out the government and the troops were replaced, ofcourse not without collateral damage. It was letter rumored that the member House of Representative, representing the area who is an Egbura man had a hand in the unpatriotic conduct of the said troops. Yet again, this are variable facts, we urge the government to properly investigate this claims and ensure anyone found culpable in influencing the violation of the rules of engagement of the military is punished. Those unscrupulous and unpatriotic troops had since been replaced with a more disciplined and peace driven ones, and we thank the Government for this move.
It is to be noted that the quest for lasting peace shall remain the vocal call of the Bassas and BCYO shall not entertain any conduct inimical to the realization of this core goal of the Bassa Nation.
We wish to therefore state that the impression that the publication tend to give is to portray the Bassas as the mischief makers, far be it, we are for peace.
Just as the Police have noted that it is a spill over effect, we only want to add that is a script been played to give the impression of a spill over effect.
We are constrained again to inform the government, the general public that the said spill over effect has now found its way to Bassa Villages mostly within Toto local government and now Kogi Local government especially Koto Karfi axis. As we speak, our people whose heart cannot stand the heat generated by this turn of event and who have decided to move to a “safer” place have been barred from movement, some have been beaten and wounded some have even been sent to Lokoja on the guise that they are fighters even when no weapons were recovered from them, road blocks have been mounted by the egburas harrassing our people unnecessarily.
We are not against precautionary measures aimed at preventing chaos but such measures should not be targeted at certain race or tribe, what is more is that the people mounting this road blocks are neither the police nor the military but the egburas.
We are urgently calling on Kogi state government, Nasarawa State government and indeed the Federal government to immediately deploy security personnel to these areas.
It must be reemphasised that the current crisis is already taking a dangerous dimension as places like Abaji, and Gwagwalada within the FCT are already witnessing some level of apprehension, we urge the government to quickly increase security presence in these areas as well.
We have been further informed of the clandestine move of the Egburas to hold meetings aimed at marshalling out plans to see to the extinction of the Bassa Nation, one of such meetings is scheduled to hold today 25/4/18 at Chelsea Hotel in Central Area, Abuja, God will not allow it. We urge the security agents to quickly move and repel this unpatriotic gatherings.
We once again thank the government and urge them to put measures in place to be proactive rather than being reactive.
While we yet again condole with all the families of those who lost their loved ones and properties, we urge that we should continue to stand for peace.
May God restore peace to our Land.
Thank you.
– Benjamin Sekpe
Secretary, BCYO.
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