The Bad: Many of the Same Sold Themselves to Fulani Terrorists
The Ugly: Crime Lords Compete with Elected Officials to Rule State
By Luka Binniyat and Ekani Olikita
(Markudi) After years of gun duels between gangs in the Sankera area of Benue State, at least 300 gang members have laid down arms, prompting cheers state-wide.
Armed gangs in Sankera – which spans three counties –have battled over territory and resources, even while amassing cash through kidnapping-for-ransom, robbery, and even hiring themselves out as mercenaries to Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM), TruthNigeria has learned.
Their major areas of operations are the forests of Ukum, Katsina Ala and Logo county, all in the Eastern half of Benue State.
Citizens applauded when Chairman of Ukum LGA, Jonathan Modi, on Saturday, said that no fewer than 300 armed bandits in the counties had embraced peace and quit the forest, according to The Nigerian Tribune.
“Through interactions and engagements, over 300 armed bandits have already come out of the forest to embrace peace, while more are still expected to be out,” The Nigerian Tribune wrote.
“I am very happy that these boys are seeing the light and laying down arms for everyone to sleep well in Sankera area,” said Emmanuel Tarka, a school teacher in Ukum town, to TruthNigeria.
The excitement was widespread as rumors of more surrenders are making the rounds, according to TruthNigeria sources.
Terror to locals
Whereas the majority of the hundreds of the genocidal attacks in Benue State have been attributed to Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM), TruthNigeria has found that several local armed gangs have sprang up in the three counties to counter the terrorists. Further investigation, however, reveals that these gangs have carved out territories that they now control, allowing them to profit from extortion, kidnapping, armed robbery. More to their disgrace, the have hired out as mercenaries to the FEM to invade communities home to their rivals.
Bandits Leaders
Meet Amakaa Overall Konyo, believed to have gang members numbering 200 armed with AK 47 rifles and locally made guns.
Konyo claims to have succeeded his cousin-brother, the late Terwase Akwaza, aka “Gana” and seems to stand topmost among the gangs.
Gana was a notorious ethnic Tiv gang leader from Katsina-Allah county (Local Governance Area). He reportedly was also a mercenary for Fulani terrorists.
Another big bandits is Terhemen Mzaga, alias ‘Full Fire’. He is the Bandit Kingpin in charge of Ukum County.
Others include: Oshoja U Chen, who runs Tyuluuv precinct in Ukum county area bordering Katsina-Ala county.
There is also James Aboh, a.k.a Anyogo Tamen. He is the bandit leader in charge defined areas in Katsina-Ala County, but he “trespasses” into Ukum town to extract tax from farmers and traders.
All the aforementioned indigenous Tiv bandits were working independently, but with occasional collaboration under the leadership of Amakaa Overall Konyo after the death of Gana until supremacy tussles over control of local markets and taxes set in.
Shortly after Gana was killed in 2020 by the Nigeria military along Yandev-Gboko road, Amakaa, his cousin, inherited his sophisticated armory and foot soldiers and promptly proclaimed himself the successor and the leader of all armed bandits in Sankera. The smaller gangs’ leaders bowed to him, and he took charge, according to a local security observer from Sankera who spoke on background.
“They fought the Fulani invaders in several fronts, killing them in numbers: kidnapping them for ransom and rustling their cows,” according to the source.
Cracks among the gangs
Yet no pact among thieves will last forever. Until their sudden breakup, the closest ally to Amakaa was “Oshoja Chen,” simply known as “Chen.” Chen is from Tyuluuv precinct in Ukum county, whereas Amaka is from Gbishe Precinct, the hometown of the infamous, late Gana in Katsina-Ala county. He is said to run a small army of 100 gang members.
Insights of Community leaders
Speaking in an interview with TruthNigeria, a former Senior Special Assistant to Former Governor of Benue State, Prince Tyodoo Livinus, attributed the raging supremacy battles to two main factors; “First, who should be in charge of local markets taxes? And second: who is the overall leader of Sankera Armed bandits?”
“They have no shame, neither do they have honor,” he said.
“They were once heroes, but no more,” Livinus said.
“Amakaa Konyo is a cousin brother to late Gana and took over his armory after his death. Amakaa has already declared himself as the leader, the reason he now attached “Overall” to his name.
“But those bandits from Ukum and Logo don’t want another Katsina-Ala bandit to be their leader since Gana had occupied the position before his death.
“Another factor is who should be in charge of taxes from local markets. Most of the lucrative local markets are domiciled in Ukum. Those bandits from Ukum such as Chen, “Full Fire” and others feel they should be in charge, but Amakaa claimed that being the overall leader, every tax collected should be remitted to him, thus the main reasons for the faceup.
“The solidarity against Fulani terrorists that once made them well loved, has since evaporated,” Tyodoo Livinus told TruthNigeria.
Luka Binniyat and Ekani Olikita are conflict Reporters with TruthNigeria.
