Callistus Agwaza, Jalingo
The Taraba State government on Friday inaugurated an eleven-man task force to assess the level of damage done by the activities of looters in the state and to recover all looted items taken away during the fallout of #EndSARS protest in the state recently.
The deputy governor Alhaji Haruna Manu who inaugurated the committee said that the government had deemed it fit constitute the committee in a bid to correct all the wrongs as the activities of the hoodlums between 24th and 27th of this month purely criminality.
He urged the youth and other people in possession of the looted items to return them otherwise the government would descend on them without mercy.
According to Manu, the committee chaired by Mr Nashuka Tukura has Mr Enganya Samaila as the Secretary Mr Shadrach Mamman from the office of the Accountant-general of the state, also have representatives of the Army, Police, DSS, NSCDC, NCS, Ministry of Chief Justice as well as the Chairman of Jalingo Local government area.
The committee, according to Manu is to work and submit it’s report within 14 days from the day of their first meeting, guided by the following terms of reference “to identify a person or groups who either directly or indirectly aided abetted or caused the removal of of all public property and funds of person corporate or unincorporated within the state between 24th-27th October,2020 and beyond; To identify and ascertain all public property and the government agencies affected by acts of looting or theft thereof; To ascertain the extent of damage or loss occasioned by the #Endsars protesters in the state; To recover all public property or funds from persons who either stole or received through purchase or gift of all such property found in their possession; To receive all looted public property or funds from persons who surrender or returned the same to their original places or places designated by the committee; To all such other things as may facilitate the recovery of the public and private property and funds stolen or looted from the state government or it’s agencies and private individual within the specified period” among others.
He assured that “the committee shall work within the ambit of the law and the constitution and will respect all the rights of citizens in the state in the discharge of it’s duty”.
The chairman of the taskforce committee in his remarks appreciated the government for chosing them to do the work and assured that “we will do all it takes to recover anything that can be recovered. It is just unfortunate that this has happened. We will put in our very best”.
