176 suspected criminals arrested in Benue

The Benue State Police Command has arrested 176 suspects in connection with banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal activities. These arrests were made in July alone and took place in various locations across the state. State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Enemari, shared this information during a press conference on Wednesday at the Command Headquarters […]

The Benue State Police Command has arrested 176 suspects in connection with banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal activities. These arrests were made in July alone and took place in various locations across the state.

State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Enemari, shared this information during a press conference on Wednesday at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi.

“We made many arrests and prosecuted several criminals in July. Some are in our custody and investigations are still ongoing,” Enemari said.

He added, “This feat was achieved in collaboration with sister security agencies through coordinated operations in the hinterlands, intelligence gathering, and stop-and-search operations, among others.”

Enemari explained that police also repelled a large number of bandits, destroyed their camps in several local government areas, and arrested at least 22 suspected cultists in the Makurdi metropolis alone.

He also issued a strong warning against jungle justice, citing a recent boat mishap in the Buruku local government area. The incident resulted in the death of two people, and youths blamed the tragedy on witchcraft.

“This is not the first time such a tragedy has occurred since my assumption of office. A similar case happened three months ago,” the commissioner said. “In this latest case, some youths resorted to burning houses and killing individuals they suspected of using witchcraft to cause the boat mishap. I am sounding this warning clearly: we will not tolerate jungle justice. Boat mishaps are not caused by witchcraft but by several other factors.