The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has raised alarm over circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Major General Idris Alkali since 3rd September, 2018.
The army general who retired a few weeks ago was the Chief of Administration in the Nigerian Army up till the time of his retirement. Security agents traced signals from his cell phone to a notorious pond in the Dura-Du District, a Berom community in Jos, Plateau State.
The search for the general which began on 22nd September, 2018 involved the army, the Nigerian fire services and local divers. The general’s car with plate number MUN-670-AA Kwara State was found at the bottom of the pond after spending more than one week draining it. The searchers also found his blood-stained army T-shirt with his name tag on it. But the body was nowhere to be found.
In a press statement signed by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the human rights organization affirmed that there was more to the disappearance of the retired army general than meets the eye. According to the group, there is every reason to believe that the general was targetted by Berom Christian terrorists because he was a Muslim passing through Berom territory.
“The Nigerian Army has reported that General Alkali (rtd) disappeared around that Dura-Du axis. The fact that more than 500 Berom Christian women protested against the search at the pond in order to stop the army from draining it is a strong pointer to the complicity of the whole community. Terrorists and killers hiding behind community women is a most dangerous development.
“It is not a new phenomenon. The fact that four other cars were found at the bottom of the evil pond shows that the spot had been a killing ground for some time. Islamic organizations, particularly the Jamaat Nasril Islam (JNI) have complained severally in the past about the atrocities being committed by the Berom Christian terrorists but the security agencies paid no attention. Muslims are no longer safe in Berom community.
“Berom Christian terrorists once surrounded hundreds of Muslims who gathered for Id prayer. These were their Muslim neighbours who came out without carrying arms because there was no declaration of hostility at the time. The Berom killers surrounded them, shot and killed them all. The shocking thing was that they roasted the dead bodies and ate them up! The video of this horrendous crime was circulated some years back.
“The Berom Christian terrorists are also in the habit of blocking major highways. They stop vehicles and profile the drivers and passengers. Those who look like Muslims or Fulanis are dragged out and slaughtered on the spot. Their dead bodies are usually dumped in the notorious pond. Sabon Hanya, especially between Mangu and Jos, has been notorious for the mysterious disappearance of Muslims and Fulanis for a long time. The perpetrators of this heinous crime refer to Muslims and Fulanis as ‘bush meat’.
“MURIC appeals to the Chief of Army Staff, General Buratai, to leave no stone unturned in finding General Alkali (rtd) dead or alive. Nigerian Muslims want to know what happened to him. A whole retired General cannot disappear into thin air just like that. It is a daring assault on the Nigerian Army. This is infra dignitatem. How can ordinary civilians treat a whole General of the Nigerian Army like this?
“We want the culprits identified, apprehended and duely punished according to the laws of the land. The army must also find their sponsors no matter how highly placed they may be. We are also interested in knowing the identities of the owners of the four cars found along with the general’s car. Of course our strong suspicion is that they were all Muslims driving through Berom territory before they were profiled, murdered and dumped in the pond. Perhaps their bodies and that of the general were buried elsewhere to ensure that they are never found.
“The wind has blown. We have seen the ruff of the hen. Those who blame Muslims for killings can now see that the noise makers are the real killers. This one is organized killing by Christian terrorists. We strongly suspect that the killings are carried out with the connivance of certain elements in official circles within the state.
“As a parting shot, we charge the Inspector General of Police to release police dogs for a special search of the community. It will definitely require a combined team of the army, navy and the police with sniffer dogs for the operation to be successful. We have no iota of doubt that Berom land is full of shallow graves where hundreds of Muslim bodies have been dumped. The search should now shift from looking for the retired General alone. It must be comprehensive. Berom community lies on dead bodies of Muslims and their blood cries out for justice.
“MURIC calls for massive deployment of troops to all highways in and around Jos. All unauthorized road-blocks where Berom terrorists profile and kill Muslims must be dismantled. We are constrained to issue a travel alert for Muslims travelling through Berom territory until the situation is brought under control. We advise Muslims to use alternative routes for their own safety.
“In the meantime, we appeal to Muslims all over Nigeria to remain calm and law abiding. The military is on top of the situation.”