My husband was a man of peace, says Gana’s widow

By Samuel Oamen

Wantor Akwa, one of the five widows of Terwase Akwaza, better known as Gana, has denied her husband was violent and wicked.

She said the killed gang leader wanted to work for God before he was killed by soldiers.

The wanted Gana was killed on his way to a peace meeting at the Benue Government House in Makurdi on Tuesday.

But the Army said he was killed in gun battle with soldiers in a convoy.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Thursday, Akwa said her husband was on his way to finalise the peace deal he had with the Benue state government before he was killed.

She said 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.

“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,” Akwa began.

“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.”