How Gana Stopped Convoy, Changed Car Before His Arrest, Killing By Soldiers – Eyewitness

Godwin Akor,  Makurdi

More revelations have been made about the death of  Benue State’ s most wanted criminal, Terwase Akwaza, (Gana) who was recently killed by Soldiers near Gboko.

Sources said Akwaza might have had premonition on his death as he swapped cars in the government convoy that was taking him and other repentant militia men to Makurdi, the state capital .

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 Eyewitnesses said when the convoy took off from Katsina– Ala at about 1 : 30pm last Tuesday, Gana was in one of the official vehicles but after the River Katsina- Ala Bridge , Gana requested that he should be allowed to join a priest who was in a local government chairman’ s official car .

He had accepted to vacate his  criminal activities after traditional rulers from Sankera intermediate area had appealed to him to accept the amnesty offered by  Governor Samuel Ortom for the second time.

Gana and 132 members of his gang were on their way to Makurdi where they were expected to be received by the state security council when the  convoy conveying them was intercepted near Yandev roundabout in Gboko and

Gana and 40 others were  arrested.

247ureports  was told that Gana was seated at the back of the Chairman of Katsina- Ala Local Government Area ’ s official car alongside the chairman , Alfred Atera  when soldiers apparently on stop and search exercise stopped them

The soldiers were also said to have pulled out a priest who sat beside Gana.

The Commander of Four Special Force Brigade , Major General Ali Gadzama , later addressed journalists in Nasarawa State where he said Gana was killed in a shootout with soldiers.

Source said Gana was brought to the stadium at Katsina-Ala about 12 :30 pm on Tuesday for a brief reception before Makurdi journey started.

The source said as of the time the convoy took off from Katsina- Ala at about 1 :30 pm, Gana was in one of the paramount rulers ’ official cars .

“As soon as they left River Katsina- Ala Bridge , Gana asked the convoy to stop saying  he was not comfortable with the car he was in” another source added. .

 He was then moved to join the car in which a priest was travelling which happened to be the official car of the local government chairman, Alfred  Atera .

“As he stepped out to enter the car , he looked back at the town and did some incantations which was later interpreted to.mean  that he was going to embrace amnesty but if the amnesty was a ploy to kill him to end the crisis , then someone more brutal than him would emerge to carry out the action”,  an eyewitness stated.

Gana who was from was alleged to have been used by politicians especially during elections .

An impeccable source said Akwaza joined Tiv youths to go into battle against the Kuteb of Taraba State to protect his people.

His bravity gave him the popular name Gana . At the time the crisis subsided , Gana was said to have  formed a militia group and in the cause of looking for a means of survival , he took to criminal activities of robbery and wherever there was disagreement, he intervene  with members of his gang.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Government and stakeholders in the Sankera area of the state have pleaded with the military authorities to release the 35 repentant militia men arrested alongside Gana who was later killed.