The senator representing Nasarawa North in the National Assembly, Senator Solomon Ewuga has said that his publicized visit to Baba Alakyo, the chief priest of Ombatse, days after more than 60 security operatives were ambushed and killed by the militia group in Nasarawa State, was approved by Senate President, Mr David Mark.
Responding to questions at the continued seating of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Lafia, the state capital, which is probing the killing of the security operatives, Mr Ewuga admitted that he knew Baba Alakyo and had visited Alakyo village.
The senator, who was led to the witness box at about 11.55 a.m. said, “Yes I know Baba Alakyo and visited Alakyo village some times in May”
He also claimed that the media officials and security aides that accompanied him on the visit were approved by the Senate leadership.
“My movement to Alakyo was approved by the leadership of the national assembly, that was why I went with full protocol from the assembly that supported me including security,” he said.
Mr Ewuga, however, said he was away in Port Harcourt, Rivers State when the killings of security operatives took place and that the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) had called him a day after the incident and pleaded with him to use his leadership position to assist in rescuing operatives, who were either killed or kidnapped.
His words, “The first called I received the next morning after I arrived from Port Harcourt was the DG of SSS, who told me that Eggon youths have either kidnapped his men or killed them so please use your leadership position there to release them or their dead bodies”.
The senator told the panel that he does not know the number of security operatives killed that day during the violence.
He also affirmed that he sent members of the Ombatse group away from the venue of the swearing-in ceremony of Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as the governor of the state in May 2011
“I asked them to leave because they don’t belong there,” he said.
-Premium Times
