The Nigerian Army, through the Commandant, Nigeria Army School of Military Engineering (NASME), Makurdi, Maj. Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale, has apologised to Governor Samuel Ortom for soldiers’ attack on a community in North Bank area of Benue State on August 15.
The Army top brass tendered the apology during a courtesy call on the governor at the Peoples House, Makurdi, on Wednesday.
According to him, he had already set up a commission of inquiry under the leadership of the Deputy Commandant to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident, assuring that the perpetrators would be punished.
The commandant also pledged that the army would collaborate with other security agencies to guide against the re-occurrence of such ugly incident in the state.
Ogunkale also disclosed that plans to relocate the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies, NAITES, had been cancelled, urging the people to patronise the institution.
He further appealed to the state government to provide logistics to the school to enable it resume pumping of water to the neighboring community.
The governor, in his response, assured the commandant that the state government was compiling a comprehensive report on the crises and would forward it to the president for necessary action.
He also advised the military to ensure that it operates within the ambit of the law, saying that two “wrongs do not make a right’’.
Ortom also said he was satisfied with the peace building efforts of the commandant and appealed for its sustainability, pledging that, even though things were tight financially, he would provide the assistance which the commandant requested
Comments