3 arrested over robbery, cultism in Benue
The Benue State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and a cultist in separate operations, recovering a locally made firearm and several dangerous weapons. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, stated on Tuesday that the arrests were made on Monday as part of the Command’s sustained crackdown on cultism and […]
Some of the items recovered from the suspects
The Benue State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and a cultist in separate operations, recovering a locally made firearm and several dangerous weapons.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, stated on Tuesday that the arrests were made on Monday as part of the Command’s sustained crackdown on cultism and violent crimes.
Edet explained that at about 2:30 pm on Monday, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Vandeikya Division acted on credible intelligence that hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers were sighted in the area with firearms.
She said a patrol team was immediately mobilized to the scene, where two suspects—identified as Dominic Terkaa Peter (30) and Sunday Tarvihi (31), both of Ako-Fate, Ute, Vandeikya Local Government Area—were arrested.
She added that, ‘’A search of the suspects led to the recovery of a locally fabricated revolver pistol and a jackknife.
‘’The suspects are currently in police custody, and the investigation has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Makurdi.’’
In a related operation at about 3:20 pm the same day, Edet disclosed that the DPO of the Yelwata Division received intelligence that suspected cult members were planning to attack rival groups and members of the public in Udei, Guma LGA.
Acting swiftly, police operatives, in collaboration with other tactical units, stormed the area and arrested one suspect, Mnyam Ternenge (21) of Udei, while other accomplices fled the scene.
Items recovered from the suspect, according to her, included a cutlass, a knife, and quantities of hard drugs.
The PPRO noted that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect confessed to being a member of the MBS cult group.