House wife, Journalist cry out over

harassment,in Plateau *As NUJ ,NBA kick

As a result of brutal military operation in Dura-Du in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State over missing Major General Idris Alkali, a house wife, Mrs. Julcit Barde has cried out to government and Nigerians to help rescue her husband Nansel Paul Barde , a certified builder by profession who has been harassed and incarcerated in military custody for over one week.

This is even as the Plateau state Punch Newspaper correspondent, Mr. Friday Olokor has lamented his ordeal in military detention having been arrested and incarcerated for 28 hours for no obvious reason.

Mrs. Barde, while addressing a press conference in Jos on Monday , said, “ A Major had approached my husband to give out our property that is near the pond to the soldiers, so that while they carry out their operation they could stay there. Since we are not yet occupying the property, my husband obliged them, and the soldiers occupied it.

“But as they evacuated the water from the pond the water flooded the building environment with it so much that a part of our building collapsed. This prompted my husband to approach the military for compensation.”

She said while her husband complained the Major leading the operation, a General who visited the operation site simply said, “Military don’t pay compensation.” Rather than talk of the compensation, the Army General ordered for his arrest, saying he should know about something about the pond and the missing General. They claimed he was being taken away to help the military with investigation.

She added that, “Since his arrest, I have not seen my husband for over a week, his phones have been switched-off and possibly seized from him. I have not had access to my husband since then. My children cry everyday asking for their father; I have had sleepless nights thinking of the whereabouts of my husband and what must be happening to him.”

She called on President Mohammed Buhari, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai and the general public to intervene for the unconditional release of her husband, querying if it was a crime for her husband to render a help to the Nigerian Army. “As I speak, they are still occupying our property.”

Also speaking, Mr.Nansel Barde’s Lawyer, Barrister Andrew Joshua lamented his incarceration for over a week without a charge, describing it as unlawful. He said “I want to believe that General Buratai is not aware that my client is unlawfully being detained. But I use this medium to call on him to order his release.”

Meanwhile, a human Right Activist, Mr. Gad Shamaki has called on all well-meaning voices in Nigeria to arise over the injustice done to the Barde’s family and other family in similar fate.

The Punch Newspaer correspondent who spoke to newsmen said, “I came back last (Sunday) night after spending about 28 hours behind bars over a former Chief of Administration in Nigerian Army, General Mohammed Idris Alkali (retd), who had been declared missing in questionable circumstances. Alkali was said to have retired a few weeks before he was declared missing on Monday, September 3 2018, a day after gunmen swooped on Dura-Du in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State and killed 13 persons.

On that Saturday October 6 2018, I went to the UBA ATM and did a cash transaction and decided to buy Irish potatoes and eggs at the popular ANNE BREEZE RESTAURANT in Rayfield area of Jos. The waiters have not brought my food when soldiers in two lorry trucks (about 30 of them), all masked and armed, swooped on the place, shot indiscriminately at sight and arrested every human being they sighted. My initial feeling during the shooting was that they were either the Fulani herdsmen (who had been a torn in the flesh of the Berom ethnic nationality), fake soldiers on military uniform or Boko Haram. Many of them were masked

“Passers-by were not spared, women and persons who were living in nearby houses were picked. Even my identification that I’m a journalist with PUNCHNewspapers didn’t help matters as they did not even want to see my Identity Card. We were 37 victims of invasion, 28 men and 9 women.

“.

“As the soldiers drove us, we were told to put off our telephones. The law was that you don’t talk, you don’t move and even when nature, for instance sneezing knocks, you’re in trouble.

“The 28 of us (men) were driven to the 3 Division of Nigerian Army in Rukuba Barrack, Jos kept in an uncompleted building. They confiscated all our belongings, including telephones, money, ATM cards, car and house keys.

“Many of the victims couldn’t take their cars and personal properties. We had no access to my families; I couldn’t communicate my family, Editors, friends, and colleagues because they took our phones.”

Angered over this , the The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council in a statement jointly signed by Paul Jatau and Peter Amine ,the Chairman. Secretary respectively said it is concerned about the way and manner the Nigeria Army is going about its search for missing Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).

The abitrary harassment, intimidation and arrest of members of the public as part of their search is a thing of worry to the NUJ.

We expect the Army to conduct its intelligence and go after those they suspect and not arrest anybody in sight.

We recall that at the commencement of the evacaution of water from Dura Du pond in Jos South, the Army told the public that they have credible intelligence that the missing general’s car was in the pond and true to their word, the car was retrieved from the pond.

We expect them to use the same intelligence they used to locate the car to go after the suspects as they continue the search for Gen. Alkali or his body.

We are perturb because innocent people are not spared by the crude method they have employed thereby instilling fear and overheating the polity.

The Army on Saturday in a statement, assured the public that they will exhibit high level professionalism according to international standard in the search but what is on display contracdicts the assurances.

The same Saturday, a member of our Union, a reporter of the Punch Newspaper was arrested alongside other persons by the army and was detained for 28 hours in Rukuba Barracks as part of the search.

We wish to state unequivocally that while journalists support the search for the missing senior officer, indeed the Nigeria Union Of Journalists, Plateau State Council will not hesitate in withdrawing its members from covering their activities if the intimidation and harrasment continues.

Meanwhile The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the recent resurgence of violence in Jos, Plateau State, describing it as most unfortunate and a serious setback to the developmental strides in all facets of life in the state.

In a statement by the Chairman of NBA, Jos branch, Bon Shalyuun Ngyou, signed by the Publicity Secretary of the association, Mr. Akila Kasham, the Bar Association said expressed her support to the effort by the Military Authorities and other security agencies in the ongoing investigation at Dura—Du, in Jos South Local Government Area.

It however, called on the Security Chiefs, to ensure their men perform their duties in line with the rules of professional engagement and respect for the principles of human rights so that innocent persons unjustly.

This, the NBA Chairman, says the Security Operatives, must take into cognizance, adding that “in line with a cardinal principle of law re-echoed by a renowned legal luminary, Benjamin Franklin, which says, it is better for one hundred guilty persons to escape than for one innocent person to suffer.”

When contacted Col Kayode Ogunsanya, Deputy Director Army Public Relations of the 3rd armored division Maxwell Khobe cantonment in Rukubu near Jos told our correspondent that the man was arrested because when he was told that some people were dumping cars at the abandoned mining pit filled with water at the back of his house he refused to report to the security agency nearest to him.

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Missing General: NBA and NUJ Kicks Against Harassment of Citizens