Plateau community, Dakunji in Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area has raised the alarm over the invasion of their villages by the Nigeria Army under the Operation Safe Haven and illegally arrested Hon. Davou Nyango, former Secretary of the Local Government.
The community alleged that the Military, who invaded the village at the wee hours of Monday 13, September, 2021, burgled into the resident of Jon. Nyango, apprehended and whisked him to the headquarters of the Operation Safe Haven in Jos.
Chairman of Dakunji Concerned Citizens Forum, Mr Pam Logyang who addressed a no press conference in Jos, said the Military came that night and shot sporadically into air which the community thought were kidnappers.
Longyang said that men of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) a military task force set up to maintain peace in Plateau, also brutalized Hon. Nyango where they inflicted injuries on his eye.
“On the midnight of September 13, the military without prior notice or warrant of arrest, went to the residence of Nyango who was a former transitional Secretary of Jos South, broke into his house and took him away.
“The unholy act has caused panic in our community, where innocent villagers are currently living in fear and many are terrified as a result of the nervous shocks they received from the invasion.
“The military shot guns sporadically on air which led to heart attacks on many aged persons who are battling between life and death at the aftermath of the incident.”
Logyang said members of the community traced and found Nyango at the Operation Safe Haven Headquarters in Jos where he was questioned for a crime he never committed.
He explained that Nyango was detained for 9 days without bail and was brutalised leading to the damage of his right eye.
He added that the incident has left both the victim and the community physical and emotionally traumatised.
“We want the military to repair the house of Hon. Davou Nyango which they destroyed during the invasion.
“That haven released the Honourable, he has been undergoing medical and psychological treatments from the trauma they inflicted on his person just as his right eye got destroyed when he was beaten and therefore ought to be compensated and the medical bills be shouldered by the military.
“That the military should stop any further action relating to but not limited to invading our nooks and crannies in the wee hours of the night.”
Logyang said the community has pledged to work cordially with the military adding that all military actions must be in accordance to constitutional and military extant law.
In a swift reaction, the Military Information Officer, Major Ishaku Takwa, admitted that the military had arrested and detained the said Nyango but denied torturing him.
“It is true that one Davou Nyango was arrested and detained by us after his name was mentioned by a suspect who committed a crime.
“We carried out our investigation and discovered that he was not involved in the said crime, so we released him, we are still investigating the matter.
“It is not true that we brutalised him, i saw him the day he was released and he was hale and hearty,” he said.
