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.
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