By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Police Command has denied detaining a missing social media activist, even as reports emerged that a senior aide to Governor Hyacinth Alia, claimed to have been kidnapped, creating a climate of uncertainty.
The whereabouts of the two individuals – Asom Jerry, a known social media critic of the state government, and Terver Atu (also known as Krayzeetee), the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Media Mobilization – are currently unknown amid conflicting reports.
When contacted for comment, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, stated he had no information regarding Asom Jerry’s alleged arrest. “I don’t have any info on the alleged arrest of the social media activist as I’m just hearing of it from you,” DSP Edet said via WhatsApp on Thursday.
Regarding the case of the governor’s aide, the PPRO clarified that the incident was outside the command’s jurisdiction, noting: “In regards to Governor Alia’s appointee, it happened in Abuja not in Benue State.”
The situation came to public attention after a social media activist, Ukan Kuran, posted on Facebook that Asom Jerry was in police custody.
Concurrently, Terver Atu reportedly raised an alarm approximately two days ago that he had been abducted in the nation’s capital.
His wife, Ri-Ta Chivir Ter, confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, recounting a distressed phone call from her husband in which he stated, “I have been abducted,” before his line became unreachable.
Asom Jerry has been a prominent online critic of the Alia administration and was recently associated with reports concerning the resignation of the former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Aondona Dajoh.
Further complicating the matter, a since-deleted Facebook account under the name Ashinenge Charles alleged knowledge of Atu’s abduction and claimed the kidnappers were demanding a ₦150 million ransom. These claims have not been verified by authorities.
As of the time of this report, the circumstances surrounding both disappearances remain unclear, and official sources have not provided further details. The situation is developing.
