Major-General U.I. Mohammed (retd) played a crucial role in the search-and-rescue mission for Major-General Idris Alkali, who went missing in 2018. He was tasked by the Nigerian Army to lead the search efforts, which ultimately led to the discovery of General Alkali’s corpse in an abandoned well at Guchwet village in the Shen district of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. Over six years since the gruesome murder of the former Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, no one has been prosecuted. In this interview, General Mohammed advised the federal government to take over the case from the Plateau State Government for justice to be done. He also spoke on how to achieve lasting peace on the Plateau and other flashpoints in the country.
How did you get into the big assignment of recovering the body of the late General Alkali, who went missing in Jos?
I was posted to Jos as a garrison commander in August 2018. Shortly after that, on September 3, 2018, we heard of the unfortunate news that Gen Alkali, who had just left Abuja on his way to Bauchi, had not reached his destination and nobody had heard anything. His family couldn’t reach him; his phone was switched off.
At that time, I actually sent a text message to the then General Officer Commanding, Major-General (Benson) Akinroluyo, who was in Yola with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai and I requested for permission to go inside Jos and see if we could find him. I sent my soldiers to hospitals and police stations, but we didn’t hear anything.
Thereafter, we had information that he (Gen Alkali) was passing through the bye-pass, which is around the Dura Du area. So, I went to that area and saw some youths standing somewhere. I stopped to inquire, but instead of them to answer, they started throwing stones at me and my troops. We attempted to arrest some of them and they all entered houses; and based on that, we left.
On our way going back to the barracks, we saw an achaba (tricycle) rider who was just passing over. We stopped him and he asked whether we were lost? We said no and told him that we heard the news that one of our senior colleagues was lost and they said he followed this road. He asked what type of vehicle the officer was using and we told him it was a black Corolla.
He told us that he heard that a vehicle was pushed into one of the ponds nearby. We asked from where and he said he was afraid they would kill him. He ran away and left us. We were calling him but he refused to stop. Based on that, we couldn’t get additional information from him.
I had somebody I had cultivated as an informant from the state, so I sent for him. When he came, I told him that we had information that a senior officer was inside a vehicle and was pushed into a pond near so-so area. I told him to go there, sleep over, eavesdrop and find additional information for me since he is from the area. He went there, slept and found additional information. He came to me early in the morning and said they had shown him the pond where the vehicle was pushed. Based on that, I said I wanted to see the pond. I dressed him in military uniform and he joined my vehicle and showed me the pond where Gen Alkali’s vehicle was pushed into.
Luckily for us, when Gen Buratai left Yola, he came through Jos, and since the GOC was not there, it was me and the JTF commander, Gen. Agundu that received him. He asked how far about trying to find Gen Alkali.
At that stage I interjected and I told Gen Buratai that I had credible information that some people saw when a vehicle was pushed into one of the ponds in the area. Based on that, when Gen Buratai went back to Abuja, he sent an order from the army headquarters and directed that the 3 Division should conduct a search and rescue operation.
When the GOC came back, he directed 3 Division Garrison and me to command the search and rescue of Gen Alkali.
What has been agitating the minds of many Nigerians is the period it took before the mystery was unravelled through human intelligence. Would I be correct to say there was no requisite technology at the time?
That cannot be completely correct. It can also be partially correct because I can tell you that we also used technology. What happened was that the moment I was tasked to handle the search and rescue, the first place I went to was the MTN and asked them to avail us with information as to where Gen Alkali’s phone was switched off. They said we had to write with our letterhead paper and I must sign it; which I did. I also requested them to give us the coordinates of where his phone was switched off and the numbers of the persons that were at the scene.
It took some days and the MTN had to escalate our request to Lagos. They gave us the coordinates, which coincided with the same area we thought he was killed. The numbers they gave us also assisted us.
During our investigation, we discovered that the General was driving alone in his vehicle. He reached a turn and there were big stones placed on the road, so he was forced to stop. As he was trying to reverse his car, people suddenly appeared from nowhere, holding machetes. They told us during investigation that they forced him to open his vehicle, otherwise they would break the glass and kill him. He introduced himself as a retired General and that he even had money inside his boot, which he said he would give them if they would spare his life. They didn’t accept his offer; they brought him out and killed him.
I had repeatedly requested that the Plateau State Government should pass a legislation that would outlaw keeping big stones by the roadside, but that has not been done. Any village you pass, you will see some big stones by the roadside, and once there is crisis, they just roll them, and whoever comes they would stop him, and if you are not from their side, they will kill you. This applies to both Muslims and Christians in their own localities.
In your estimation, who is actually impeding the prosecution of this case?
I can tell you that since the case started in 2018, they have kept on shifting it. It was only once that I was allowed to go to the witness box and testify. This is why, before we go further, I want to tell you how we got to know who did what. Immediately we identified the place that the vehicle was pushed, the STF sent people to the point, who requested the state government to give them a fire service vehicle. Not only that, the STF also hired some divers from Taraba State. It was at that stage that I took over the search and rescue operation. For the first two days, we would send divers to go inside the pond and do everything, but we didn’t hear anything. This is why, after the second day, I said we could not continue like that – let us evacuate the water from the pond to a bigger pond that was nearby.
I went and met the GOC and he agreed. I went to six biggest mining companies in Jos. All of them had big machines that can be used to pump water out. They agreed to rent those machines to us at a cost. Now, on the day I was going to start the evacuation of the water, I left my house as early as 6:30am. When I reached the site, I saw plenty women dressed in black; they started throwing stones at us. We tried to stop them but they didn’t stop. Some of them were even trying to go naked.
At a later stage, there was one Stephen Chuwang, who was like an elder, and one Amisco, who came to me and said they were going to talk to the women to talk to us. We agreed.
The women said their problem was that the pond was where they got water to drink and I was trying to evacuate it. I told them that I was not taking the water to the barracks, but they said they would not allow me to do what I wanted to do and continued with the threat.
Unknown to us, Stephen was telling the women in their language that they should not allow us to evacuate the water. What Stephen didn’t know is that in my escort, I had somebody who could speak his language. It was that man that came and whispered to me on the ongoing mischief; and based on that, I ordered my troops to disperse the women. We arrested 18 of them and took them to the barracks.
When the evacuation continued for up to 10 days, some people went and told the GOC that maybe the information I gave was not right, but I was very lucky that he was very close to me. We respect each other. He sought my opinion and I said I wanted him to allow me to see to the end of the evacuation so that even if we saw nothing, we would satisfy our curiosity. He said I should go ahead.
On September 29, the water went down, and when the divers entered, they touched a vehicle; and we sent a rope. As they brought it out, it was a Toyota Corolla with the same number, MUM 670 AA, black that belonged to Gen Alkali. I immediately called the GOC and he said we should wait. He sent for the press to witness how the vehicle was brought out.
We continued with the evacuation; and two days after, we got a Rover car, and after that, a bus. There was also a tipper truck inside and other vehicles. There were Keke Napep (tricycles) and motorcycles inside that pond.
This is why I am still of the view that the whole water in the pond should be evacuated so that all these things can be brought out.
There was an uncompleted storey building near the pond, which collapsed when we were pumping the water because of the narrow gap.
I want to lead you to how we were able to arrest the suspects. The owner of that building, Nansel Paul Barde, came and was shouting, abusing people and saying the Army must pay him. I told my soldiers to go and call him. When he came, he continued shouting, saying that in trying to find a vehicle, we destroyed his building. I asked if the building was more important than the life of Gen Alkali. His answer was that he didn’t care about the General, his interest was his building. So, I directed my men to arrest him. I also directed the military police to charge him as being an accomplice to the murder because in his presence people were being killed and he never reported to anybody.
Unknown to me, his wife was the coordinator of the human rights office in Plateau State; and based on that, they wrote several letters, interviewed many people, telling us that we violated his human rights.
However, his arrest was a very big blessing to us because it triggered many other arrests. After about two days when we took him to the barracks, he told us that his boys saw when the vehicle was pushed into that pond. When we arrested them, they told us that they saw when the vehicle was pushed; but because it was at the far bank, they could not identify those who followed the vehicle and pushed it.
However, they told us that there was a block industry which belongs to one Mr Stanley Onochukwu. I had Stanley’s number and I called him, but he refused to answer. Later on, he blocked my calls. All the residents in that town left and he also packed all his things from the block industry and moved elsewhere. Luckily, because he was very popular there, we had information about where he was and we sent our operatives to arrest him. When he came, we asked him to tell us what happened regarding how the vehicle was pushed. He told us that he was not there but his boys were there. He gave us three names: Nampa Jonah, Michael Peter and one Simon Sule. We told him that we wanted him to call them on phone and send one of them to buy diesel, one to buy cement and the last one to buy sand for him. We told him to send them to the bank at the same time. We sent our operatives to wait in front of the bank; and when they were coming out, we picked them and brought them to the barracks. They told us that the person who drove the vehicle was a tipper driver called Timothy, who also sold sand.
When we arrested Timothy, he told us that it was Chuwang Samuel (Morinho) and Nyam Samuel (Soft Touch) who killed Gen Alkali. They were assisted by Gyang Dung (Boss). They were the principal persons who killed Gen Alkali with others.
When the incident happened, we conducted cordon-and-search. I led the operation by 12 midnight. We went to all the places in the area and arrested many people and took them to military police. Those who were found not to have anything to do with the case were released. But some of them who had some information were detained in the barracks. It was from them that we got information that Alkali was actually buried in “No Man’s Land.”
It was CP (Commissioner of Police) Dr Wilson Akhiwu, the pathologist who assembled the skeletons of Gen Alkali. He showed me and the GOC that he was stabbed with machetes in three places. His skull was broken, the ribs were broken and the left thigh was severed.
We also arrested the mortician, Obadia at the Gidan Kwano Hospital. He confessed that he exhumed the body of the General and put it inside two sacks. One contained the head, hands and other parts and the second sack contained the legs. He also told us that he gave the sacks to Mr Chuwang Stephen, who carried them in a red golf car. Stephen was the one who took us to the abandoned well. After a series of efforts, the two sacks containing the remains were seen and brought out. The remains of the General were subsequently moved to Abuja, where he was buried.
Up till now, Chuwang Samuel, who is one of the prime suspects, is still at large. After the incident, Nyam Samuel also ran away and took part in an armed robbery, in which he killed another person. Based on that crime, he was re-arrested and brought to the prison.
The police who declared him missing didn’t even know he was in prison. It was our informant who told us that he was there. They allowed our people to interview him and he was in the court once. I was not in court when he confessed that he took part in the killing of Gen Alkali.
The sad thing I want to tell you is that we later heard that one of the judges had actually released him on bail. As we speak, he is on bail and at large.
You mean that Nyam was granted bail after killing another person, apart from Gen Alkali?
And he is now at large. Even at the time when I went to the court, he was not there. They said he had been released on bail. This is why I want to state that the judiciary has a lot to play because whatever it is, justice delayed is justice denied.
I am of the view that even the National Judicial Council should look into the case. I am also strongly suggesting that the federal government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, should take over the case for justice to be done.
Do you have the name of the judge who granted Nyam bail?
I don’t have the name, but I can tell you that it is a known fact that he was on bail and he is now at large.
It is curious that the case, which involves the military as an institution, has not been resolved. What do you think is responsible?
I can just tell you that the military is a strong institution. They are interested in this case, to the extent that they even got some lawyers, retired military generals and directed them to pursue the case.
However, the key problem is the fact that there are so many issues with our own prosecution. The power of prosecution lies with the state. And I can tell you that even today, if the attorney-general of the state says this case should be closed, they will close it. That is how bad things are in the judiciary. That is one of the key impediments. And that is why at the beginning we had requested that they should transfer the case to the federal judiciary, but the state resisted. So, right now, it is not the military against them, it is the state versus them. The military is just there as a third party.
So, if the Plateau State Government wants this case to be decided with ease, it would do that?
It will be.
In your estimation, would Alkali’s family ever get justice?
I pray, I hope and I plead that justice would be done to Gen Alkali and the family. I know the process we went through to bring everything out so that the world would see what happened.
We have given all the facts to the state government and the judiciary. I am pleading with the state government to make sure that justice is dispensed.
A certain politician was said to have hidden the community leader that was part of the conspiracy, including instigating the women. What is his name?
Well, let’s leave it as a big politician because I can tell you that even during the search-and-rescue, I went through a lot. There was a very senior traditional ruler who called and directed that we should stop the evacuation, but I told him no, explaining that I was not there just to evacuate the water. And since it was part of a military operation, we had orders, and it was only if the orders were rescinded that we would stop. Not only that, the community also pushed members of the clergy to stop us from evacuating the water, but I told them that we had orders.
How intense was the pressure on you not to continue with the evacuation?
Well, I can tell you that even some senior officers I know called and asked if I was sure of what I was doing, adding that it would exacerbate tension in the community. Even some from the area who had retired, got my numbers and called me, asking why I was keen on finding what was inside that water. But we told them that we had credible intelligence. And if we had not seen that vehicle, there was nothing we could say that would prove that he was killed. That was the most important evidence. Luckily for us, when the vehicle was brought out, even his t-shirt with his name was there.
Any threat against you?
Certainly.
How serious?
At a stage, somebody called me and said he was going to make sure I was posted out of Jos that week because I was rude to him in the way I answered him. I told him that I was ready for that because in military, posting is a routine.
It was a month after I reported that this incident happened. Usually, as a commander, I was supposed to spend two years. And I spent the two years because I was actually working on instructions.
Leadership was key to the discovery. Without your efforts, do you think the corpse of Gen Alkali or even the vehicle would have been found?
Well, in the military, we do selection of leaders. I can tell you with all confidence that there is no task that has been given to me that I failed. I had a boss that was keen for results. I worked with Gen Buba Marwa, the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). I was his security officer when he was the governor in Borno State. I was also his security officer in Lagos. I worked with him for so many years. Not only that, I had worked with so many other seasoned officers like Gen Dzarma, Gen. Alkali, and all of them had actually known me for being result- oriented.
I was in Somalia as a young man. There was one video they used to show where Nigerian troops assisted Americans. I was the one that was in charge of that brief operation.
I also served with the American troops as a lieutenant for a month, and when I left, they wrote a letter of appreciation, which I can share with you.
Talking about threats and pressure, what support did you get from your superiors?
I can tell you that the GOC believed in me and provided all the support we needed. Not only that, Gen Buratai also supported us very well because everybody in the army was disturbed.
I worked with Alkali as a lieutenant when he was a captain. He was a simple, quiet, gentle, affable and friendly gentleman.
He retired as a Major-General and Chief of Administration, Nigerian Army. Recruitment and pension were under him, but when he retired, he went to the Pension Board and queued up behind soldiers. And he was a member of the Board of Pension. He didn’t go to the office and say, ‘I’m here, process my papers.’ This is why I said that if those who killed him had known the kind of person he was, they wouldn’t have done that. He was not only kind and gentle, he made sure that everybody got his due.
Don’t you think the evacuation should resume for all the other vehicles to be brought out so that those whose relatives disappeared would finally know what happened to their loved ones?
If you read the story, you would discover that the owner of the Rover lived in a nearby town called Bisichi.
Somebody who wanted to buy his land invited him and he went with his driver. That was how people from the community attacked him, lynched him and pushed the vehicle inside that same pond. The driver ran away with a lot of cuts. He went and reported to the police. When the police came, the same women who wanted to disperse us came and stopped them from going further to investigate. A bus was also discovered. The person left Bisichi and was going to the town and they just said he was missing. When we saw the bus, what helped the family to know that he was dead was the fact that on one of the doors, there was a sticker with his picture. And the family had been going to the police for years, looking for him.
We wrote a report and requested for a judicial panel of inquiry. We also requested the government, which has more powers, to actually evacuate the entire water, bring out all the vehicles that are there and cover the pond. And if possible, even make a cenotaph for all those who were killed there.
I am of the belief that if that is done, we would be taking a step towards peace in the Plateau. It is all contained in my report to the army headquarters. We also made sure that the report was taken to the Ministry of Justice.
Why is it difficult to address insecurity in Nigeria?
I can tell you that we have a myriad of security challenges facing the country. They could be solved, but there are many impediments. One of the biggest issues we have in the armed forces and other security agencies is equipment. Nigeria is one of the countries in the world in which every year we make budgets, but they budgets do not buy equipment. People should know that. Equipment are very expensive; this is why it takes years for us to buy. If you go to other climes like US, China, and what have you, every year they buy equipment. What they do in those climes is that every year, they ask the security agencies how they can secure their countries? What are your requirements? If you give your own requirements, they would now give you part of it. But here, I heard that they budgeted about N2 trillion for security, but the only thing I saw we bought were maybe GPMGs and some rifles.
I served in the army for 35 years. When I joined the army, what I met was Vickers. Then it was bought newly. For all my years, we never bought tanks till 2014. And even in 2014, during Jonathan when we bought tanks, we bought T-72. At that time, they were more than 40 years, so they were not new. What I am telling you is that if we want to have a secure Nigeria, there must be a nexus between security and prosperity. Go to any prosperous country and you would see that it is safe.
Even in Nigeria, look at the parameters, the indices of prosperity. South-West is the safest.
We are borrowing money to build roads we cannot drive on. So, the government can buy 50 tanks, 100 APCs, brand new 50 artillery weapons, buy 10 additional fighter jets and 10 attack helicopters, then buy fragmentation jackets and steel helmets for our soldiers. If we can do that, within two years, things will be better.
Soldiers are making a lot of sacrifice. In fact, you will see a soldier who would spend five or even seven years without seeing his family. They are in the bush.
Are you an advocate of non-kinetic approach?
What people don’t know is that once you have seen the power of a weapon, you can never leave it. That is why a non-kinetic approach does not work without the kinetic.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I am always praying that there should be peace in the Plateau. This is why I told them when I was there that if they could come together – Muslims and Christians – and embrace each other, there would be peace and they would be more prosperous and happier.