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How Nigerian Soldiers Are Killing, Displacing Innocent Citizens In Benue Over Attack On Convoy — AAC Party Cries Out

The party explained that soldiers were provoked by an attack on their convoy by armed bandits in the area, and since then have unleashed terror on the residents of the community.

The Benue State chapter of the African Action Congress (AAC) has condemned the ongoing attacks by the Nigerian military personnel on innocent citizens in Benue communities.

The party alleged that men of Nigerian Army have not even spared children, women and elders residing in seven communities of Shangev-Tiev in the Konshisha local government area of the state.

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According to a statement signed by the state chairman of the party, Comrade Rex Elanu, and made available to SaharaReporters on Thursday, the survivors of the raids have been displaced.

The party explained that soldiers were provoked by an attack on their convoy by armed bandits in the area, and since then have unleashed terror on the residents of the community.

“The attention of the African Action Congress (AAC) Benue State chapter has been drawn to the incessant destruction of lives and properties in no fewer than seven communities of Shangev-Tiev in Konshisha LGA of Benue State.[story_link align="left"]92607[/story_link]

“We are reliably informed that in the last 3 days, men of the Nigeria military under the ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’ have launched series of attacks on the unarmed civilian population in over 7 communities in Shangev-Tiev, killing and displacing residents including children, women and the elderly.

“The mayhem which was reportedly provoked by an attack on a military convoy by armed bandits who terrorise the area, has since witnessed a misplaced reprisal attack by soldiers with heavy gunfire on unarmed civilians around the area, using both aerial and ground troops to cause colossal destruction.

“Although the bandits reportedly fled immediately after attacking the military convoy, the surrounding communities who needed help from the Nigeria military to get rid of the bandits, are the ones now paying with their lives and properties, to the extent of becoming displaced persons in their own state,” Elanu said in the statement.

As the party demands the withdrawal of the Nigerian soldiers in the troubled areas, it also called on the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari for his failure to secure the country.

“Gungul, Aku and Mbaakpuur communities are being razed down by the Nigerian soldiers. These are communities over 30 kilometres away from the scene where military personnel were reportedly attacked by bandits.

“We want to state emphatically that such an act of terror and impunity is completely reckless, barbaric, inhumane, tyrannical and unexpected from the Nigerian military. Therefore, we demand the immediate withdrawal of the military troops from the affected communities, immediate provision of relief materials to the affected and displaced persons, compensation for the affected communities and prosecution of the military men involved in such a heinous and criminal act.

“We wish to also restate our demand for the resignation of General Muhammad Buhari who has become very insensitive to the security challenges in the country, failing consistently as the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“African Action Congress (AAC) Benue State, heartily commiserates with families who lost their loved ones during the attacks and whose houses and properties have been destroyed.

“While we continue looking up to God for help, we must also as a matter of necessity, begin to mobilise massively in order to resist and eliminate this minute percentage of ‘political monsters’ in power, through every legitimate means possible: the reason we always recommend #RevolutionNow Protests,” the statement added.

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Military