The Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), has raised concerns over the mob action by aggrieved youths in Birnin-Gwari on Sunday which led to the alleged killing of two herdsmen in a cruel and gruesome manner.
Ishaq Usman Kasai, Chairman, Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), in a statement on Monday said, “BEPU, a distinct and peaceful union is clearly against any form of mob action under any guise and is hereby warning citizens not to resort to taking laws into their hands, irrespective of frustration and provocation.”
It urged its citizens always to channel their grievances to appropriate authorities and continue to devote themselves to prayers for divine intervention in the current insecurity situation.
The union hailed security forces for the successes recorded in sanitizing Birnin-Gwari, tasking them to step up the operations in communities surrounding town where bandits are currently demanding and forcing communities to pay “protection fee” and crop harvesting levies.
While noting that the lynching of suspected bandits is highly condemnable, the union expressed concern over the way the issue has been reported to selectively and deliberately portray Birnin Gwari in the bad taste.
The statement said such deliberate selection provides a false narrative on the issue and may endanger the helpless innocent citizens of the Birnin-Gwari local government.
The Union appreciated the government’s resolve to investigate and bring perpetrators of the primitive act to book but warned that government officials are in haste to issue sensitive statements without scrutinising the identities of the alleged herders lynched by a mob.
The statement explained that the records available show that the lynched ‘herders’ were terrorists mercenaries from the Republic of Benin and not herdsmen as falsely reported earlier.
It added that BEPU findings revealed that the alleged lynching occurred after the suspects forcefully snatched a motorcycle from a farmer on the outskirts of Birnin-Gwari main town.
“Therefore, BEPU is concerned to observe that the statement issued by the government on the issue did not equally capture the entire fact or commiserated with innocent citizens of Birnin-Gwari who had been attacked at different locations”