Benue police rescue 29 kidnap victims, arrest 34 foreigners

The Benue State Police Command has rescued 29 kidnapped victims and arrested 34 international nationals throughout safety operations throughout the state in October.

The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, disclosed this on Tuesday whereas presenting the command’s operational report back to journalists on the police headquarters in Makurdi.

Nwadiogbu attributed the successes to intelligence-driven operations and cooperation amongst safety businesses, group safety teams and native hunters.

He stated 4 passengers kidnapped by gunmen who attacked a industrial car alongside the Uzer village axis of Ayilamo-Tse-Abi Road in Logo Local Government Area had been rescued on October 5.

According to him, the rescue operation concerned the police, Operation Whirl Stroke, Benue State Civil Protection Guards and native hunters.

The police commissioner additional disclosed that 17 farmers kidnapped from Tse-Acha and Tse-Wuam communities in Bamun village, Tombo District, Logo LGA, had been rescued on October 7.

He added that eight different victims, together with a Catholic priest, regained their freedom following their abduction alongside Ugbokolo-Ajegbe-Awume Road in Ohimini Local Government Area on October 13.

The growth adopted an earlier police announcement confirming the rescue of eight victims and the arrest of two suspects in reference to the incident.

Nwadiogbu additionally revealed that the command arrested 34 international nationals in two separate operations in the course of the month underneath evaluation.

He stated 16 Cameroonian nationals had been apprehended in Otukpo Local Government Area on October 9 after they allegedly did not current the mandatory journey paperwork.

In one other operation on October 22, police operatives intercepted 18 Nigerien nationals at Orokam whereas they had been reportedly travelling to Ikom in Cross River State.

The commissioner defined that the suspects had been taken into custody for investigation and verification of their immigration standing.

He stated the Nigeria Immigration Service and different related authorities could be concerned within the course of to find out the circumstances surrounding their entry into the nation and actions inside Nigeria.

Nwadiogbu added that investigations into the circumstances had been nonetheless ongoing.

The police chief additionally disclosed that safety operatives arrested a number of suspects in separate operations focusing on suspected cultists and different alleged offenders in Naka, Makurdi, Aliade and Gwer East.

Items recovered in the course of the operations included seven regionally made firearms, 16 rounds of ammunition and cartridges, charms, cell phones and ATM playing cards.

He additional reported {that a} suspected bandit was killed throughout a gun battle involving Operation Zenda operatives alongside Amaafu-Abaji Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area on October 2.

A regionally fabricated firearm was recovered following the encounter.

He urged residents to offer safety businesses with credible data that would help in tackling legal actions throughout the state.

Nwadiogbu confused that public cooperation remained essential to stopping crime and safeguarding lives and property.