Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has berated the Nigerian military for allegedly demanding bounty after killing Benue gang leader, Terwase Akwaza widely known as Gana.
Bibian Anekwe News reports that the Nigerian military killed Gana last week while on his way to accept an amnesty by the Benue State Government led by Governor Samuel Ortom. Gana, who was in the company of Sankera leaders, was intercepted and killed by the military on their way to Makurdi for the amnesty promised by Governor Samuel Ortom.
Displeased with Gana’s killing, Soyinka in an opinion piece frowned at reports that the military was requesting the bounty placed on the alleged criminal by the Benue State government.
The Nobel laureate said the military side-tracked “the rationality of professional investigations” by its action.
According to Soyinka, “… any tear that is shed for the arch-bandit and multiple murderer Akwaza, known as Gana, is an obscenity. However, tears of trepidation are falling fast and furious over the conduct of an army that eliminates a captive in cold blood, side-tracking the rationality of professional investigations and legitimate pursuit of felons and other enemies of society.
“The issue here is not one of the appropriateness of a policy of Amnesty – that constitutes a larger debate in its place. The issue here – and a critical one — is that a Wanted Man, on his way to surrender, has been killed in cold blood. I read yesterday that the Army has followed this up with a demand for the bounty earlier placed by the Benue State governor on the head of the WANTED man.
“However, all reports so far indicate that he was on his way to surrender? And so, is this bounty demand a joke? An end then to such gallows humour!” he said.
