Gana: Soyinka Attacks Military For ‘Demanding Bounty’ After Killing Benue Criminal Unprofessionally

Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has bearated the military for allegedly throwing professionalsm to the wind by killing alleged most wanted Benue criminal, Terwase ‘Gana’ Akwaza, after surrendering himself to the state government.

Soyinka also frowned at reports that the military was requesting the bounty placed on the alleged criminal by the Benue State government.

Gana, who had been declared wanted by the Benue government in connection with some killings in the state, was killed by the military while being conveyed to receive a second amnesty from the state government.

In an opinion piece on Tuesday, Soyinka said the military side-tracked “the rationality of professional investigations” by its action.

He said, “… any tear that is shed for the arch-bandit and multiple murderer Akwaza, known as Gana, is an obscenity. However, tears of trepidation are falling fast and furious over the conduct of an army that eliminates a captive in cold blood, side-tracking the rationality of professional investigations and legitimate pursuit of felons and other enemies of society.

“The issue here is not one of the appropriateness of a policy of Amnesty – that constitutes a larger debate in its place. The issue here – and a critical one — is that a Wanted Man, on his way to surrender, has been killed in cold blood. I read yesterday that the Army has followed this up with a demand for the bounty earlier placed by the Benue State governor on the head of the WANTED man.

“However, all reports so far indicate that he was on his way to surrender? And so, is this bounty demand a joke? An end then to such gallows humour!” he said.