The Police in Benue State have arrested a bandit kingpin and four others in the Adikpo Kwande local government Area of the state.
The terror kingpin, police said, is the lieutenant of a later gang leader, Terwase Akwaza, also known as Gana.
Announcing the arrest in Makurdi, the Commissioner of Police, Bathlomew Oyeaka, noted that the suspects were arrested by the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Zenda.
According to the commissioner, two of the criminals specialise in the manufacturing of local weapons for the arrested criminals.
“On 14/08/2023 at about 0340hrs hours, officers from Operation ZENDA JTF Tactical team trailed and arrested a dreaded and vicious armed bandit kingpin named Kumaor Fachir Daniel, popularly known as 2nd in Command to late Gana along Adikpo-Ugbema road,” the police boss stated.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of four other gang members, including Torwuese Ashiekaa, Aondongu Aligbe, Terkula Wuhe aka ‘Oryughurt’ and one Terhemba Sevav, a 47 yrs old member of the gang from Adikpo Kwande who specialised in fixing and manufacturing rifles for the gang,” he said.
Among the items recovered from the gang member accordion to the commissioner are, “two AK-47 rifles, two other fabricated AK-47 rifles, two Beretta pistols, in the process of fabrication, one double barrel gun loaded with 35 live cartridges, and 130 rounds of 7.62x39mm live ammunition.”
The commissioner also confirmed that other criminals, who he said were among the gang members, escaped the scene of the incident. He, however, emphasised that he “will not tolerate criminality in Benue State”.
In 2020, the gang leader Terwase Akwaza was killed by the Nigeran army after the former governor said that the then-wanted criminal had embarrassed amnesty and was returning to Makurdi.
Since his death, there have been different killings in the state, some of which have been alleged to have been carried out by the gang in retaliation for the killing of their leader.
