Wife of killed Benue militia leader: My husband was a good man, wanted to work for God before he was killed

By our reporter| One of the five wives of the most wanted criminal in Benue state, Terwase Akwaza, better known as Gana, Wantor Akwa, on Thursday said her husband wanted to work for God before he was killed by the army.

The late militia leader was controversially killed earlier in the week by the military.

According to the army, Gana killed after an exchange of gunfire, an account disputed by governor Samuel Ortom who said he was slain on his way to surrender.

But in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, the wife of the late militia leader said her husband was on his way to finalise the peace deal he had with the Benue state government before he was killed.

According to Akwa, her husband wanted to be a free man and only came out of hiding because Gabriel Suswam, senator representing Benue north-east, told him that he was involved in the peace deal.

She said, “I was in Makurdi when they called to inform me of the incident. Senator Gabriel Suswam went to meet him on Saturday because when they went for him on the second amnesty issue, he said if he did not see Suswam, he was not going to come out.”

“That until Suswam comes around, he will not believe that the amnesty is true. After the initial amnesty he went back into the bush. When the second amnesty programme started, he was briefing me about the development.

“I spoke with him on Saturday and he told me that he was going for the amnesty and that he is tired of the life he was living.

“He told me that he has worked for too long and that he wants to work for God and be a free man. My husband was not a wicked man. I am not saying it because I am his wife. My husband was not a wicked person.”