**urges Tinubu to probe Akume’s involvement in killings
Nigerian Concord Newspaper
National Security Network, NSN has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately probe the direct involvement of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume in the ongoing genocides in Benue state, stressing that the former governor is using the security challenges to settle scores with the governor of the state, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia as a result of the leadership crisis between them.
The group which is an independent private security network based in Abuja stated this in a press statement signed by its Publicity Officer, Commander Odili Chukwuemeka and made available to journalists in Abuja today.
The group said that a whooping N400 million was paid by Senator George Akume to some Catholic priests who few days ago addressed a press conference where they called on the Presidency to immediately declare a State of Emergency in Benue State as a result of the ongoing massacres in some local governments in the state.
Commander Odili Chukwuemeka pressed further that the records available to the National Security Network showed that the N400 Million was given to the priests who operate under the aegis of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN through Bishop Wilfred Anagbe who is the Bishop of the Benue State Catholic Diocese.
According to the group, Akume was informed by close Aides that adding the voices of some notable Catholic priests to the call for an Emergency Rule in Benue state would gear up the Presidency to give the agitation a special consideration.
The statement said: “It was at this point that Bishop Wilfred Anagbe was suggested to Akume as the right man to coordinate the Catholic priests for the job. It’s no longer a news that Bishop Wilfred Anagbe has been working with the Benue APC stakeholders led by Senator George Akume to remove Governor Alia from office for close to two years now.
“After much deliberations, Senator Akume invited Anagbe to his Abuja residence in Danube, Maitama last week where the arrangements to draft in the Catholic priests under the aegis of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria into the agitation for a State of Emergency in Benue state.
“Anagbe who has always been part of the plans to remove Alia from office was given two days to negotiate with the President-General of CBCN, Leonard Kawas who asked for N400 Million to settle the priests and the journalists that were used for the campaigns.
“Anagbe’s involvement shouldn’t surprise anyone. A statement made by the leader of the CBC Catholic priests, Bishop Leonard Kawas during the press conference where he accused the Governor for the alleged threats directed at him (Anagbe) is a pointer that he was involved in the press conference.
Let’s ask Anagbe to deny his direct involvement in the press conference in the face of the encomium showered on him by Bishop Kawas as an “unflinching voice for the people of Benue over the killings”
“Let us ask Kawas why he was saying during the press conference that the CBC Catholic priests stood with Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe in his courageous stance against the atrocities committed against Benue people if he, Anagbe, was not the facilitator of the plots to pay them to address the said press conference ”
The National Security Network however urged the president to investigate the Catholic priests who addressed the press conference to be sure that they weren’t just being political since records have shown that they got N400 million from Senator George Akume through Bishop Wilfred Anagbe to do the job.
The group also wondered why Benue state is being mentioned out of several states across the country that are facing similar security challenges..