Attah Ede, Makurdi
Police in Benue State have uncovered and destroyed two illegal firearm manufacturing factories, recovered three AK-47 rifles and apprehended many suspects in connection with various crimes in the State.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of Benue State Command, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu,made this know at a press conference held at the command’s headquarters in Makurdi.
He said operatives of the command equally arrested a 20-year-old suspected gunrunner, Joro Jakata, in Guma local government area with 115 rounds of live 7.62mm AK-47 ammunition.
The CP also said that intelligence-led operations resulted in the dismantling of two illegal arms factories and the recovery of two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, five English pistols and firearm-making equipment.
According to him, investigations into the attack on Efeyi Ugboju community indicated that the assailants rustled about 20 cattle before killing 13 residents.
He further disclosed that police later killed two suspects after engaging them in gun duel resulting to recovering of one AK-47 rifle with 15 rounds of live ammunition.
“Furthermore, six suspected armed robbers linked to the murder of a trader in Buruku, were arrested alongside with cattle rustlers, homicide suspects, child trafficking suspects and members of a suspected fraud syndicate operating across Benue and Kogi states.
He noted that the Command also foiled a staged kidnapping involving a female student and was treating the reported disappearance of seminarian Ochai Kevin, 39, as a missing person’s case pending the outcome of investigations.
