From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has commended the police in ensuring the arrest of a gang of four who kidnapped and murdered Vicar-General of Otukpo Catholic Diocese and parish priest of St. Bernards parish, Okpoga, Rev. Fr Dr. John Adeyi.
The governor said this following the parade of the four suspects who have already confessed to the crime at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The governor, however, noted that he would only be happy after the four face the full wrath of the law.
Represented by his deputy and chairman of the state’s Amnesty Programme, Benson Abounu, the governor condemned the dastardly act and wondered “why any sane human being could so heartlessly kill a gentleman as kind-hearted as Fr. Adeyi who ran a home for widows, among many other humanitarian activities he was involved in.”
He commended the police in arresting the killers and warned criminals in the state to take heed as the long arm of the law would catch up with them.
Ortom also stressed that with the needed synergy between government, police and other security agencies in the country, there will be no hiding places for criminals.
On the wanted gang leader, Terwase Akwaza, also known as Ghana, the governor called on him to hand himself over to the police and noted that if he had no hands in the killing of this special assistant on Security, Denen Igbana, then, he should come in to clear himself.
The governor disclosed that because the state government has now started using the stick approach in its fight against crime, the rate of criminality in the state has dropped in the past two months.