Hyacinth Chinweuba
Police Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team have arrested two suspects for the kidnap of a Medical Doctor, Audu Benedict, his son and one of his associates in Katsina-ala LGA, Benue State while travelling from Taraba State to Abuja on 10th March, 2019.
The suspects, Henry Terkula Gwa ‘m’ 25yrs from Donga LGA of Benue State and Terhile Tsavbe, ‘m’ 30yrs from Gawa village, Katsina-ala LGA of Benue State were arrested on the 6th and 11th June, 2020 following intense search for the victims and manhunt for the perpetrators by the Police team.
According to Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, Investigations revealed that the criminal gang collected 7.5million naira as ransom from the families of the victims as condition for their release.
The suspects forced the late Dr Audu Benedict to issue them a cheque of N500,000.000 which they cashed in a commercial bank in Gboko town, Benue State. Subsequently, the suspects killed the three (3) victims and had them buried in a shallow grave at Gawa in Katsina-ala LGA of Benue State.
While effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large, the police team is on the verge of exhuming the remains of the slain victims.
In a similar development, the Police have arrested 25 other criminal suspects for their involvements in a varying cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession of prohibited firearms currently under investigations.
The suspects are members of high-profile criminal gangs terrorizing communities and major highways of the North-Central and North-West States of the country.
Exhibits recovered by the police team from the suspects include: 6 AK47 rifles, three locally fabricated pump action guns, one locally fabricated pistol, two dane guns, fifty five rounds of AK47 ammunition, four empty magazines, one laptop computer and one Toyota Corolla Car with REG No. MKD 13 RC.
All the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations, said Mba.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, has assured that the battle against criminal elements in the country is a continuous one.
He requested that all hands should be on deck towards decisive victory and reclaiming of the public space from the criminal elements.