Police arrest 273 for capital offences in Benue

The Police Command in Benue has apprehended no fewer than 273 individuals for alleged capital offences and charged 250 of them to court within the past eight months.

The police disclosed in a statement signed by the Commissioner of Police, Steve Yabanet, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Makurdi.

Yabanet stated that a total of 273 suspects were apprehended in connection with capital offences between April and December 2024.

The Commissioner of Police added that 250 of these suspects had already been charged in court, and they also recovered 20 firearms and 51 rounds of ammunition during this period.

He further noted that 27 kidnap suspects were apprehended, and 34 kidnapped victims were rescued.

According to him, the command nabbed 54-armed robbery suspects and 63 suspected cultists.

Yabanet also reported that 47 suspects were apprehended on rape charges, and 41 others were arrested for cybercrime offences.

He went on to state that six suspects were apprehended in connection with culpable homicide, and one car, one tricycle, and 14 motorcycles were recovered during the period.

The Commissioner said that one of the major challenges in the state was the issue of cultism, which the command had been actively fighting.

“While some suspects have been charged to court, we have a total of seven suspected cultists in custody, apprehended from the North Bank, Daudu, and Otukpo areas.

“They include Donald Aguma, ‘m’, of Daudu; Tyoshar Aondoaseer, ‘m’, of Daudu; Tsena Joseph, ‘m’, of Daudu; and Benjamin Andrew Augustine of Otukpo.

“Garba Yusuf, alias Totis; Ismail Dauda; and Abdulahi Danjuma, all males from Wadata in Makurdi, were also apprehended, and one locally fabricated pistol was recovered.

“These suspects will soon be charged in court.”
However, he called on parents, teachers, religious leaders, and traditional rulers to join the fight against cultism, noting that it required a “carrot and stick” approach to combat.

Yabanet also highlighted the troubling situation of people taking the law into their own hands, particularly young people killing the elderly over alleged witchcraft.

“On 24 December, information was received that an aged woman was killed over an allegation of witchcraft in Egba village, Agatu Local Government Area.

“During the investigation, one Bako Above, 50, and Oyaje Clement, 40, were apprehended in connection with the case,” he said.

He commended the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, and the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, for their unwavering support of the command thus far.

(NAN)