Gov ordered police to bring my
head - Ombatse chief priest
2013-05-23 00:43:35
The Chief Priest of the Ombatse cult group in
Lakyo, Nasarawa South Local Government
Area of Nasarawa State, Ala Agu, on
Wednesday said that security men that invaded
the community were ordered by the state
governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, to kill
him.
The 76-year-old Agu, popularly called Baba
Lakyo, spoke with journalists on Wednesday
at Lakyo during a visit of Senator Solomon
Ewuga (Nasarawa North Senatorial District)
to the community.
The chief priest, who spoke through an
interpreter, said the security operatives did not
come to arrest him, but to kill him "and cut off
my head and take it to the governor."
"It is the governor that asked the people
(police officers) to come here and arrest me,
cut my head and take my head to him.
"When they came, because they were
themselves drunk, my god did not allow them
to come to me and they died on the way.
"The question I asked is, 'has the governor ever
invited me and I refused to go?' If am invited, I
will go. But he sent people to come and kill
me and to destroy Lakyo as a whole. That is
just what it is."
Al-Makura had rushed to the Presidential
Villa, Abuja on May 8, 2013 to brief Vice-
President Nnamadi Sambo on the security
situation in the state, saying that 20 policemen
were killed in Lakyo by cultists.
The governor had said that members of Ombatse
laid ambush and killed security agents sent to
arrest the members in their shrine.
On Wednesday, Baba Lakyo said that he had
never been invited by security agencies,
contrary to reports that the police invaded the
village after he shunned their invitation.
The chief priest said that he was willing to
honour any invitation either by the governor or
the police.
Although Lakyo is peaceful, besides the sight
of burnt vehicles used by the security men, Agu
said he was unhappy with what happened and
was apprehensive of what might befall him
afterwards.
Ewuga toured Lakyo community, and led
reporters to the home of Agu, which represents
the "shrine" of the Ombatse.
Agu however denied ever forcing people to
join the group through any initiation or
drinking of concoction.
"I am grateful for your coming, Senator. I am
very, very grateful for your coming. Even if the
Senator did not come here, I had intended to go
and see him in his house but since he is here, I
am very grateful," he told the senator.
Agu also said that he was in a nearby village
when the incident took place only for him to
come back to be informed that the governor sent
people to come and kill him.
Asked whether the incident had anything to do
with the politics of the state, he said, "If you are
talking about politics, it does not bother me. I
don't even understand Hausa language. Politics
is not for me because I am not a politician.
Politics is for politicians but I hear that the
time for politicking has not even come.
"If I ever opened my mouth to force anybody to
take oath, God should punish me".
He said that Ombatse was an association of
Lakyo boys into which nobody was forced to
belong.
He said he was ready to honour any police
invitation but insisted that nobody had invited
him.
According to him, it is even more saddening that
he is being linked to the incident, especially
when he knew nothing about what happened to
the policemen.
But Al-Makura on Wednesday dismissed Agu's
claim that he was never invited for any meeting.
The governor, who spoke through his Chief
Press Secretary, Mr. Iliya Aliu, in a telephone
interview, said it was on record that the head of
the cult group did not honour several
invitations extended to him.
He said, "It is not true that he was never invited.
The Emir of Lafia who is the Chairman of the
Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs invited him,
he refused to honour it.
"Are Eggon, who is the chief of his area invited
him, he refused; the Police, the SSS all invited
him before this incident but he refused to
honour any of them.
"His followers attacked and killed people in
Asakiyo Alago; they went to Arga Migili,
Kwadere and did the same.
"No responsible government will sit by and
watch such things happen without taking
action.
"It was after he refused to answer all of these
invitations that the state security council met
and decided that he should be arrested.
"Even their name, Ombatse, means it is our turn.
Their turn for what?
"In any case, no matter the grievance, no
individual or group has the right to kill
innocent security officials.
"He and all those responsible must face the
consequence of their action."
The President of the Egon Cultural
Development Association, Mr. Chris Mamman,
said the only way to get to the root of what
happened at Alakyo was for the Federal
Government to set up a judicial commission of
inquiry.
Ewuga said he decided to tour the affected area
as a matter of national responsibility, saying he
needed to see things for himself since he is also
an Eggon man even though it was not within his
senatorial district. mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/gov-ordered-police-to-bring-my-head-ombatse-chief-priest/

The chief priest, who spoke
through an
interpreter, said the security
operatives did not
come to arrest him, but to kill
him "and cut off
my head and take it to the
governor."
"It is the governor that asked
the people
(police officers) to come here
and arrest me,
cut my head and take my head
to him.

i think the best favour he can do himself is to cut his head himself, keep it somewhere where the police won't see it let alone cutting it and taking it to the nasarawa state government and start working headless.