By Ngozi Uwujare
Operatives of Operation Zenda, the Joint Taskforce, (JTF) of the Benue State Police Command have arrested more than ten suspected armed robbers and kidnappers who have allegedly been wreaking havoc on the people of the area for quite some time.
It was gathered that the gang members had kidnapped over 15 victims, raped them and killed some of their victims. It was learnt that the suspected kidnappers blocked the Abaji/ Tordonga Road during their operation during which they kidnapped the victims.
The Command said police operatives recovered some sophisticated weapons from the suspected kidnappers and armed robbers in their camp inside the forest along Makurdi/ Aliade road under Aliade Gwer Local Government Area of Benue State.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wale Abass told Saturday Sun that the hoodlums blocked the road along Abaji/ Tordonga road, robbed and kidnapped victims who were abducted from public buses in which they were travelling, raped the female victims and collected millions of naira from their relatives after holding them captive for four days.
He said the suspected criminals kidnapped five victims on October 10, 2020 and took them inside the forest along Makurdi/ Aliade road. It was gathered that the suspects thereafter killed some of the victims while some others escaped from their custody.
The commissioner said it was the escaped victims that raised an alarm and alerted the neighbourhood which prompted the operatives of Police Operation Zenda to go to the scene. The police subsequently rescued four of the victims. The police boss said the criminals abandoned some of their victims and escaped.
CP Abass said it was on May 14, 2022 that the Commander of ‘Operation Zenda’, Justin Gberndyer, a Superintendent of Police (SUPOL) and members of his team encountered the hoodlums and attacked them in the forest.
He said during the gun duel, some of the suspected kidnappers were shot dead while some escaped with bullet wounds. He further informed that the police recovered AK 47 rifles, pump action, 40 rounds of live cartridges and locally fabricated single barrel guns from their camp in the forest in the Makurdi/ Aliade axis.
He gave the names of some of the arrested suspects as Mohammed Isah, Lumah Azeez, Ben John and Ibrahim Mohammed.
CP Abass stated that on January 10, 2022, the same gang had robbed some motorists along Abaji/ Tordonga and took them to the Makurdi/ Aliade road. At the place, the kidnapped victims were asked to collect money from their relatives on phone. They demanded one million naira from each victim.
He said it was when the information got to the police that ‘Operation Zenda’ swung into action, had an encounter with the kidnappers, some of who escaped with bullet wounds after abandoning their victims. The victims were rescued at the scene.
“Also on April 26, 2022, the same gang attacked some people. Among them was one Mrs Mizper Amaebi of Gboko town who was robbed of her Toyota Sienna vehicle and cash of N2,1million. They took others to their hideout in Abenga Village, along Makurdi/ Aliade road. It was through intelligence gathering that prompted the ‘Operation Zenda’ operatives to swing into action and the hoodlums opened fire at them sporadically. But they were repelled, which culminated into a gun duel. Some members of the gang escaped with bullet wounds and we recovered AK47 rifles, pump action alongside a Toyota Sienna vehicle,” the commissioner told Saturday Sun.
CP Abass further explained that on February 17, 2022, the same gang along Makurdi/ Nasarawa Expressway also made attempts to rob vehicles.
He said: “The police operatives on patrol intercepted them and foiled the attempted kidnap and rescued the victims while the hoodlums abandoned their arms and ammunitions which they used for their operations. The police operatives in that axis have raided all their hideouts and the roads are safe for vehicles to travel to their destination”.
CP Abass added that the same gang attempted to make another kidnapping in Gboko when they blocked the road and wanted to kidnap victims in their cars.
But he explained that, after gathering information about their plans and activities, the police operatives attached to the Gboko Police Division who were on patrol gave the suspects a hot chase which prompted the victims to escape from the scene.
He said the police operatives, local hunters and vigilance groups are always in that axis to make sure that Gboko town is safe and the area is calm. He informed that there was now a constant raiding of the area.
“Also on March 10, 2022, the same gang was at Otukpo/ Makurdi road where they kidnapped three victims and took them to their bush in the Makurdi/ Aliade axis. The three victims were in their captivity for three days before the ‘Operation Zenda,’ in a joint operation with a vigilance group, stormed the kidnappers’ camp in the forest and gave them a hot chase. They also rescued the victims,” he said.
CP Abass said there have been serious patrol and erection of police checkpoints on the Makurdi/ Otukpo Expressway and the communities along that axis..
He said the people of Otukpo have been assisting the police by giving them useful information.
The suspect, Mohammed Isah, in a chat with Saturday Sun, admitted that he was a kidnapper.
Hear him: “I hail from Kaduna State where we have over 10 members of of the gang of armed robbers and kidnappers. We have kidnapped some victims along Abuja/Kaduna Expressway. It was when the police operatives gave us a hot chase and killed some of our gang members that we abandoned Abuja/Kaduna Expressway. We kidnapped some victims, collected millions of naira and later when we saw that the police operatives were killing our gang members, we abandoned Abuja/Kaduna Expressway and came to Benue state and robbed and kidnapped victims along Abaji/ Tordonga axis and took them to our bush in Makurdi/ Aliade axis’.
“We have kidnapped over 10 victims in various places in Benue state. We kidnapped female victims, raped them and killed some of our victims whose family refused to give us ransom. We released the victims after their relatives had paid their ransom. We have had several encounters with police operatives and they have killed some of our gang members, especially in April, 2022 and they have taken away some of our sophisticated weapons which we used for the operations. The Benue State was too hot for us. The police operatives checkmated us while we had an encounter with them on May 14, 2022 in the bush on Makurdi/ Aliade road. I was arrested with my fellow gang members. We have confessed to the police operatives.”
Another suspect, Mohammed Ibrahim, also spoke to Saturday Sun. his words: “I am from Nasarawa State. I joined the gang three years ago. I am in charge of the armoury which had all the arms and ammunitions that we used. We were formerly operating on Abuja/Kaduna Expressway when police gave us a hot chase and we had to relocate to Benue State. Our operation is usually to block roads along the Makurdi/Gboko, Makurdi/Otukpo, Makurdi/Aliade roads where we kidnapped and robbed victims of their valuable items. We also raped the female victims. I always release the arms and ammunitions for any operation that we carried out. Benue state is too hot because most of our gang members have been killed. We had to regroup and form another gang in the neighbouring state in Nasarawa and Kaduna. It was during the process, the police operatives launched an attack on us and killed some of our gang members. I was also arrested, and the police operatives recovered the sophisticated weapons which we used to terrorise Benue State from us.”
One of the victims, one Mary Ortom explained her ordeal to Saturday Sun. She said: “I am from Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. I am a businesswoman. I was kidnapped in 2021 when they took us to their forest and told me to call my relations that they needed the sum of N5 million as ransom. I made several calls to my husband. He rallied round, but he could only raise N1million. I stayed there for three days. They did not release me after we had paid one million naira to them. My husband went to report the case to ‘Operation Zenda’ who assisted and swung into action and rescued me from them. Some of the gang members ran away from the forest when they heard gunshots. I am happy that they have arrested one of the gang members whom I have been able to identify.”
CP Abass thanked members of the public for giving the police useful information that led to the arrest and flushing out of the hoodlums from the state.
He said the arrested suspects will soon be charged to court.