By Amos Aar
IN A MAJOR breakthrough, the Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of key suspects linked to deadly attacks in Benue State and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition in a series of coordinated operations.
According to the police, the arrests followed an intensified crackdown on armed groups responsible for recent violence, including the brutal assault on Yelwata community in Guma LGA of Benue State.
A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, revealed that police operatives from the Force Intelligence Department – Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) conducted a series of coordinated operations across Nasarawa and Benue states, leading to multiple arrests and weapons seizures linked to bandits terrorising the North-Central region.
According to the statement released on Tuesday, a major breakthrough came on June 21, when FID-IRT operatives stormed a forest at the boundary of Kadroko in Nasarawa State and Yelwata in Benue State — an area used as a hideout by bandits involved in the recent Yelwata killings. Following a fierce gun battle, the criminals fled with gunshot wounds, abandoning two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), which were recovered at the scene.
Further progress was made on July 8 when the operatives arrested a 25-year-old suspect, Abubakar Isah, along the Lafia–Makurdi expressway in Makurdi. He was found in possession of three AK-47 rifles and 1,002 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. Intelligence reports indicated that the arms were en route to bandit groups operating in Benue State.
Investigations traced the supply to a notorious arms dealer, Jacob Adikwu, operating from Abinsi in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. The weapons were reportedly intended for delivery to one Dan Hassan, a bandit kingpin notorious for orchestrating attacks across Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara States.
According to the statement, on July 12, police arrested another suspect, identified as Ibrahim a.k.a. “Chelsea”, who confessed to wiring a total of ₦6.5 million to Adikwu. ₦6 million was reportedly payment for two AK-47 rifles and 2,000 rounds of ammunition, while ₦500,000 was meant to build a hidden compartment in a Volkswagen vehicle to transport the arms to Kwara State.
Acting on this intelligence, operatives stormed Abinsi town on July 16 and arrested Jacob Adikwu. They recovered three AK-47 rifles, 220 rounds of ammunition, and the Volkswagen car in question. A follow-up operation on July 17 led to the recovery of an additional five AK-47 rifles, one rocket launcher, and 1,000 rounds of live ammunition from Adikwu’s network.
The statement added that, efforts are ongoing to apprehend Dan Hassan and other key players behind the attacks. The police say suspects already in custody will be prosecuted upon completion of investigations.
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, commended the operatives for their dedication, assuring that the Force will leave no hiding place for those who profit from the bloodshed of innocent Nigerians.
