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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 after collecting N3.5 million.
Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), rescued him alongside two serving police inspectors and nine other kidnapped victims from their abductors in Benue.
The Force Commander OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, disclosed this yesterday in Makurdi.
He also stated that two suspects were arrested during the operations and were being questioned.
He said the 11 victims were rescued at Tse-Ahur and Chito areas in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA).
Gara said the rescued victims, including 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 the 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, 15 AK-47 magazines, three FN rifle magazines, 31 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.
Gara explained that following consistent news about abduction of people in Sankara axis of the state (Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo LGs), they carried out the operation in the area to flush them out.
He said the operation which was carried out on August 2 and 3, was headed by Commander Sector 1, Col Kolawole Bukoye and supported by the Air Component of the OPWS targeting Benue and its 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 the troops would maintain operational pressure, dominate the battlespace 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 June 16, while I was on my way to my station between Zaki Biam and Wukari about 6:15pm, 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 N3.5 million from me but I don’t know how much they collected from others. They collected the money but refused to release me,” he said
Also, Inspector Odah Patrick of the River State Command said he was granted leave to sick medical care only to be kidnapped on July 14, while coming from Abakaliki to Benue.
He said the criminals collected N3 million from him but refused to release him, adding that he spent 16 days in their custody before the OPWS intervention.
