NIGERIAN MILITARY HANDS 162 HERDSMEN TO POLICE FOR ALLEGED LINKS TO LIBYA
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters said it has handed over 162 herdsmen to the police for investigation into alleged ties that the suspects may have with Libya.
The acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. John Agim, who disclosed this in at press briefing said, it was in reaction to the recent assertion by Mr President that the herdsmen had strong links with Libya and were trained as hitmen by late Muammar Gaddafi.
According to Gen. Agim, 147 herdsmen were handed over to the Benue State Police Command, while 15 were handed over to the Taraba State Police Command since the Operation Ayem Akpatuma started on February 15.
According to the military spokesman, people were of the view that the troops should just seize weapons from the criminals, without touching the residents.
He however said, such measures would be “unfair because the military is in these two states and they are supposed to keep the peace and not to take sides with any faction.
“We have handed over the suspects to the police. The rest is for the police to find out. If I start telling you whatever, I am doing the police’s job. Before the herdsmen are taken to court, the police would profile them appropriately and know where they get their training from.
“You must understand that the President of the country has a helicopter view of the country. He has a lot of information at his disposal. So, wherever they (the herdsmen) come from, they are causing havoc to our country and that is very important to us. And that is what all of us must fight to prevent.
“The President has disclosed this information based on the intelligence at his disposal and you cannot doubt that”, he concluded.
Alternative Africa.com
