The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has sounded the alarm regarding the inauguration of Al-Tershak Global Security Ltd, a security outfit established by Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku. The party has expressed concern over Tershaku’s alleged ties to international terrorism and his role in killings within the state.
Bemgba Iortyom, the spokesperson for the party, emphasized the need for the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, to conduct a thorough investigation into the background of Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku before proceeding with the security outfit.
According to Iortyom, “The security outfit owned by Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku was inaugurated by the present administration last Saturday with the objective of returning displaced farmers, who were victims of killer herdsmen, to their ancestral homes. However, we urge the governor to thoroughly examine the owner’s past based on his previous actions.”
Iortyom questioned whether Governor Alia had conducted due diligence on Tershaku, considering the reports of his arrest and the allegations made against him by the Nigerian Army. He also questioned the need for a new local security outfit in Benue, given the existing Livestock Guards and Community Volunteer Guards who are already working with regular security agencies to ensure peace and security in the region.
The PDP noted that Tershaku had revealed during the inauguration that the security outfit is under the overall command of a Fulani man, and the majority of its officers are of Fulani ethnic background. This raises concerns about how the outfit plans to achieve its stated objective of returning displaced Benue farmers to their lands, which have been occupied by Fulani herdsmen.
Iortyom raised important questions: Will Fulani men be expected to fight against their own brothers and dislodge them from lands they have taken in Benue? Is this the assumption that will guide the security initiatives promised by Governor Hyacinth Alia to facilitate the return of IDPs to their homes?
While Tershaku claimed to have an extensive security background and experience working with various security agencies across Nigeria, it is crucial to note that he is also profiled by those same security agencies as a suspected international terrorist.
Governor Alia is urged to urgently clarify how he intends to use a person with a profile as a suspected international terrorist to fulfill his promise of returning Benue farmers to their ancestral lands, which were occupied by the same terrorists that Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku has been linked to over the years.