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I spent 48 days in captivity – Inspector
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
A police inspector John Ngbede has narrated how he spent 48 days in the hands of kidnappers who refused to release him despite collecting N3.5 million.
His release came after troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) rescued two serving police inspectors and nine other kidnapped victims from their abductors in Benue.
The Force Commander OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, disclosed this on Monday in Makurdi.
He also stated that two suspects were arrested during the operations and were being questioned.
The troops’ commander said the 11 victims were rescued at Tse-Ahur and Chito areas in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA).
Gara said the rescued victims, four females and seven males, were profiled and given medical attention and would be reunited with their families soon.
He said the high-impact operation was carried out simultaneously at Tse-Ahur and Chito areas of Ukum LGA of Benue State, with Sector 3 providing a strategic blocking position in Gindin Mangoro, Wukari LGA of Taraba, to interdict fleeing insurgents.
According to him, the troops recovered four FN rifles, three G3 rifles, four AK-47 rifles, one PKT machine gun, one locally fabricated dane gun, fifteen AK-47 magazines, three FN rifle magazines, thirty-one rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition.
He said they also recovered 184 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition, one pistol magazine, five smoke discharge canisters, and several charms.
The Force Commander said preliminary investigation revealed that one of the arrested suspects was in charge of their armoury, while the other was the victims’ security guard.
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Gara explained that, following consistent news about the abduction of people in the Sankera axis of the state (Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo LGAs), they carried out the operation in the area to flush them out.
He said the operation, which was carried out on 2 and 3 August, was headed by Commander Sector 1, Col Kolawole Bukoye, and supported by the Air Component of the OPWS, targeting Benue and neighbouring Taraba State.
Gara commended the Chief of Defence Staff and other service chiefs for their continued support and for deploying more personnel for the operation.
He assured that troops would maintain operational pressure, dominate the battle space, and restore peace and security to Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa States.
Speaking to journalists, Inspector John Ngbede, a rescued police personnel attached to Numan Divisional Police Station in Adamawa Command, said he was held captive for 48 days.
“On 16th June, while I was on my way to my station between Zaki Biam and Wukari about 6:15 pm, we ran into people in military uniforms.
“They stopped us and took us to an unknown destination. Today I’m 48 days in their custody. They collected N3.5m from me, but I don’t know what they collect from others. They collected the money but refused to release me,” he said.
Also, Inspector Odah Patrick of Rivers Command stated that he was granted leave to seek medical care, only to be kidnapped on 14th July while coming through Abakaliki into Benue.
He said the criminals collected ₦3m from him but refused to release him, adding that he spent 16 days in their custody before the OPWS intervention.
