EXCLUSIVE: GOVERNOR ORTOM’S AIDE’S MURDER: What They Don't Want You To know [SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENTS]

It’s not news that trusted security aide of Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Mr Denen Igbana was assassinated on the 20th of May, 2016 at his residence in Tionsha, on the outskirts of Makurdi, the state capital.
On the morning after the murder, as the Governor visited the family of his deceased aide, fellow residents of Tionsha narrated exactly what happened. Vanguard Newspaper of 21st May, 2016 captured the testimony of an eye witness and tax collector of the area, Thomas Ayakpam. He said at about 1:32am, the SSA had come home only to run into assailants who were armed with sophisticated weapons.

In Ayakpam’s words that day, “They opened fire on his vehicle (a Toyota Hilux) perforating the car on all sides. Igbana ran out of the car, shouting and heading towards my own house but they shot him on his leg. He fell. At that point one of the gunmen came closer to him and he started shouting, ‘Gana so you can kill me, you want to kill me, what did I do to you?’ He was then shot severally and the people fled.”

Gana’s real name is Terwase Akwaza, a former warlord who had accepted Governor Ortom’s amnesty programme. He had, during the programme, worked closely with the deceased Denen Igbana who himself was a retired, non-commissioned police officer. To complete the three figureheads of the amnesty programme, along with Denen, was the Special Adviser on Security, Col Edwin Jando (Rtd.) and Special Adviser on Special Duties, Architect Joe Kyaagba.

After about two weeks, on the morning of Friday, 3rd June, 2016, Arc Joe Kyaagba was arrested, first for illegal possession of firearm, but after a thorough search of his residence in which nothing of such was found, he was taken for questioning over the murder of Denen Igbana.

Three days later, on Monday, 6th June, 2016, Arc Kyaagba was charged to the Chief Magistrate Court 1 for criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.
According to the First Information Report, FIR (one of the attached documents), “on 24/5/2016 at about 1220hrs, the above mentioned case was transferred from Divisional Police Headquarters ‘D’ Division Makurdi to Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID) Makurdi via letter no. AR:3100/BNS/MKD/VOL.4/69 dated 23/05/2016 stating that on 20/5/2016 at about 0130hrs, one Ephraim Tyover ‘m’ chairman vigilante group Tionsha village reported at the police station ‘D’ Division Makurdi that on the same date at about 0030hrs, his neighbour, one Hon Denen Igbana ‘m’ of the same address and Senior Special Assistant to the Benue State Governor on Security Matters was trailed to his house by unknown gunmen on motorcycles, opened gun fire on his vehicle white Toyota Hilux with reg. No. SEL 230 AA as he returned from outing and he jumped down from the vehicle in attempt to escape but the gunmen rained bullets on him until he fell down at a neighbouring compound making dying declaration that “Ghana is killing me, if I die it is Ghana, Joseph Adom Kyaagba and their group that killed me”. The complainant further stated that the victim was immediately rushed to BSU Teaching Hospital Makurdi where he later died while receiving treatment on admission. During police investigation, one Joseph Adom Kyaagba ‘m’, 57yrs, public servant, of No 18, Dr Patrick Ityohe Boulevard, HUDCO quarter High Level Makurdi was arrested for committing the offences. Sections 97 and 222 of the penal Code Law of Benue state 2004 suggested.” This statement taken by inspector Abubakar Adah and duly signed by the informant. The matter was however adjourned to 3rd August 2016 for further mention.

To add weight to the First Information Report (FIR), it was learned that Professor Dennis Tyavyar, the current Benue State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology stepped up to testify as witness against Arc Kyaagba, his colleague at the State Executive Council. In the statement (one of the documents attached) dated 7th June 2016, Prof Tyavyar, a 60yr old public servant of Ministry of Education Headquarters Makurdi submitted thus:

“I of the above named address wish to state as follows: That I have known Arch Joe Ikyaagba for many years as we were both at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. We are now together in the cabinet of His Excellency Gov. Samuel Ortom. That the late Denen Igbana hails from the same council ward and local government area with me. As a Senior Special Assistant to governor on special Security, he related closely with me as his leader.

“APC had held several party meeting at Vandeikya, Gboko and Makurdi. All the meetings are convened by the chairman of the party and he (the chairman of APC) is the one who send invitation for all the meetings. As a commissioner, I never sent invitation to any of the meetings. The chairman of APC at Vandeikya was the one who identified and sent invitation to those that paid condolence visit to the governor of Benue state following the murder of Mr Denen Igbana.

“Early May 2016, late Denen Igbana complained to me that Joe Ikyaagba and him were having bad relationship because of the amnesty programme of Governor Ortom and I reported same to our traditional ruler to reconcile them and I asked him to tell the Governor and he did.” This statement was duly signed by Professor Dennis Tyavyar.

On the day Arc Kyaagba was arraigned before the court (6th June 2016), Gana who was mentioned in connection with the murder was granted an interview in the newspaper owned by Governor Samuel Ortom, Oracle Nigeria. Although that edition was hoarded from the public, there were interesting revelations made by the former warlord. In the interview titled “I am Also Investigating the Killing of Igbana”, Gana said the killers of the Governor’s aide were not from Benue state, also exonerating himself from the murder.
His words, “I am in no way connected with the murder of Denen Igbana if he is the person you mean to mention his name. I felt so bad and was actually dump founded and disgusted when I heard the saddest news of the untimely death of the Senior Special Assistant to the governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
“I am saying that whatever it is, I am not party to the gruesome killing of the innocent soul that was meaningfully engaged by the government of Benue State which I am also part of it. I am also investigating the killing of Hon. Denen lgbana but I strongly believe those who murdered him are not faces from Benue State. They must have come from somewhere else. We will find out even as we intend to reach down to the black stones, anybody found culpable should be dealt with squarely.”

On Monday 20th June 2016, 14 other persons were arraigned over the same murder case. They include Ephraim Ianna, Dooshima Mtsor, Paul Ogbu, John Avine, Aondo Iortim, Washima Hyacinth, Terzungwe Shianondo, Aondofa Henen, Iortswam Aondover, Terna Asema, Ngutswen Igyungu, Anule Desmond, Tersoo Kase and Terdoo Torbee.

The suspects were charged for the same offences as Arc Joe Kyaagba except for illegal possession of fire arms. The prosecuting Police officer, Inspector Daniel Swende said the accused persons were arrested in the course of investigation according to a First Information Report which stated that on 20th May, 2016, one Ephraim Tyover reported to the Police Station “D” Division Makurdi that Igbana was trailed to his house by unknown gunmen who opened gunfire on him and killed him. The officer however said Terwase Akwaza aka Gana, and three other persons were still at large. The suspects were remanded and the matter adjourned to 22nd August, 2016 for further mention.

Gana, had before the court pronouncement, stated expressly that he was not at large. He said nobody had questioned him ever since the governor’s aide was murdered. Part of his interview with Nigeria Oracle reads, “Since his killing I have not been contacted by anybody. I only read in the papers that I’m wanted. The security agencies and government can invite me to see them any time and I will honor the invitation. In this case nobody and I said no security agency has called me to come and I refused. Some people are speculating that I’m at large but it’s not true. I’m always in Katsina-Ala and I will not run because I’m not responsible for Igbana Denen’s death.”
Now that he was pronounced wanted in court, Gana maintained his earlier statement. He said in an interview with Journalist Emmanuel Ujah which was published in two national dailies (Nation and Sun Newspapers), that he had not been invited nor questioned by any security agencies concerning the murder of the governor’s aide.
In his words as published in the newspapers, “I was surprised to see people saying in the national dailies that I am wanted for the death of Denen. So, I ask myself, how I can be wanted when the government gave me security? They ought to have contacted me and know where I was at that time. Since he was killed, I have not been contacted by anybody. I only heard in the papers that I am wanted. The security agencies and the government can invite me to see them at any time and I will honour the invitation.
“In respect of this case, no security agency has called me to come and I refused. Some people are speculating that I am at large, but it is not true. I am always in Katsina Ala and will not run because I am not responsible for Igbana Denen ‘s death.”

Since that interview, Gana has spoken to different individuals revealing the findings of his personal investigations of the murder of the Governors aide. According to him, some facts were deliberately omitted from his previous interviews with Nigeria Oracle, Nation and Sun Newspapers.

In one of those conversations via mobile phone, Gana insisted that the murderers of governor’s aide were not from the state and that he was killed as a result of a deal gone sour involving the kidnap of the wife of popular Benue businessman simply known as Oficon.
According to Gana, the late Denen Igbana had approached him wanting him to arrange for the kidnap of Mrs Gloria Igbu popularly known as Madam Oficon, saying the woman’s husband was wealthy and that they would share the proceeds of the ransom.
However, when he declined, Denen Igbana arranged boys from Aliade who carried out the kidnap and took the woman to a state in the east, after which ransom was demanded and paid by the wealthy Ibo. He said after collecting the ransom, Denen led a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to rescue the woman. He however failed to settle the boys appropriately. When they complained, he locked up some of them. That Denen Igbana knew the boys were after him when they were released and same boys brought their colleagues from outside the state to assassinate Denen.

Gana also confirmed a disagreement between Kyaagba and the late Denen concerning the next phase of the amnesty which Denen had suggested the elimination of the top arrowheads of the ex-militias including himself (Gana) and one Pastor in whom’s gruesome murder Denen was fingered. This suggestion, which Denen said would make the programme easier to manage, according to him did not go down well with kyaagba as he disagreed with Denen proceeding to murder Pastor.

Yesterday, 30th June 2016, rumours that Gana had been stripped of his security details were confirmed by a report in Nations Newspaper, however, he remains Chairman of Joint Task Force on Revenue in Benue State, remitting about N10 million into the coffers of the state treasury every month.

Whatever happens, the real killers of Mr Denen Igbana must be apprehended and brought to book. In the meantime, the following 10 questions are begging for genuine answers:

1. Obviously the first. Who are the real killers of Mr Denen Igbana?

2. Why did the police choose to use, as First Information Report, the statement of someone who lives 1km away from the crime scene rather than that of the person in whose compound Denen made a dying declaration?

3. Is there something Arc Joe Kyaagba is not saying or has Denen’s dying declaration been twisted to implicate him.

4. Did a wounded dying Denen have the composure to mention in his dying declaration “Joseph Adom Kyaagba”; one whom everyone calls Joe Kyaagba as quoted in the FIR?

5. Why has Gana, whom the FIR indicted along with Arc Kyaagba, not been arrested, detained and charged?

6. Is Gana truly at large as alleged by the police or is he being put away deliberately?

7. Does Gana have information that will unravel the case and/or probably indict more other top government officers?

8. What is the role of Professor Dennis Tyavyar in this case and what does he stand to benefit politically from its fallout?

9. What is the role Col. Edwin Jando, the Special Adviser on Security with whom late Denen and detained Kyaagba worked closely with in the amnesty programme?

10. With this murder and several other incidents of kidnap and killing in recent times, has the amnesty programme caused more harm than good?