By Dansu Peter
The Operational unit which was put together by the former Governor of Benue state, Sen. Gabriel Suswam with the aim of flushing criminals that were incessantly terrorizing the state was made up of the Military and Nigeria police, with a military officer as commandant.
The unit, indeed was adjudged by many as having delivered on its core mandate creditably.
When Governor Samuel Ortom took over the reign of the state, he maintained the unit but with a slight change as the military pulled out and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) drafted in with a police officer heading the unit.
With the new arrangement however, Benue citizens are currently groaning over the operation of this unit currently headed by a former CSO to Governor Samuel Ortom, CSP Justine Gberindyer.
CSP Gberindyer was removed as CSO from Makurdi government house under suspicious questionable circumstances that have been kept away from the public all this while.
Investigation by our team has unraveled the fact that contrary to its core mandate of arresting and handing over to the Criminal Investigating Department (CID) at the Police Command, Operation Zenda has established torture centres in Gboko and Makurdi in the name of detention centres.
The centre in Gboko is located opposite Kusaki college, near Yandev. A blue wall of a well protected house where nobody dare go near except on arrangement is boldly marked, DANGER ZONE. KEEP OFF.
In Makurdi, the DANGER ZONE is located at the outskirt of the town, at Adaka near Governor Ortom's Oracle farms.
The unit now handle even political and other civil issues where people arrested always tell stories of how brutal the "squad" headed by Gberindyer is.
Those who are unfortunate to have one case or the other to settle with the Gberindyer led Operation Zenda have told stories on how dehumanised people are treated at the "zone". They said once one is taken to the place, it is assumed that one is guilty and you are treated as such.
The unit is also alleged to be making millions from illegal revenue collection by erecting illegal checkpoints on the roads. Youth are employed and given protection to collect revenue for them.
Our investigation has revealed also that in order to give protection to the illegal checkpoints workers, in places where the checkpoints are erected, Operation Zenda roadblocks are mounted barely metres away.
Such checkpoints include amongst others, the one at Tyo-mu on Makurdi - Gboko road; the one at NKST Girgi in Vandeikya Local Government; those one near Uturugh village and Howe all on Aliade-Otukpo road; those at Ayua and Gbor in Katsina-Ala all on Katsina-Ala - Zaki Biam road and the one at the boundary point at Joor Tar in Ukum Local Government.
Already, Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Mr. Andrew Ayabam has confirmed knowledge of the checkpoints but said they are all illegal and mounted by criminals to extort money from businessmen.
While our findings have indicated that the joint operational taskforce against illegal checkpoints in the state has been battling to dismantle the checkpoints, just recently, the Secretary of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Mr. Godwin Akor was arrested and detained for days at the DANGER ZONE.
Akor as the Secretary of BIRS is responsible for appearing as principal witness against culprits arrested at illegal checkpoints since he always accompany the taskforce on the roads.
Concerned citizens have variously expressed worry over the activities of Operation Zenda with many wondering whether the unit has is running a parallel Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Nigeria Police.
Tyavkase Keghku, a retired police officer who narrated how he shaded tears when he set his eyes on one of his relation who went missing for almost a month but was only discovered to have been under detention at one of the secret centres of Operation Zenda expressed worry why a unit under the force instead of handing over whoever is arrested to the CID for either further investigation or upright charge to court has resorted to torture and dehumanization of suspects.
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