The Benue State Police Command has bursted a four-man kidnap gang that specialises in abducting women in Makurdi and arrested two of its members.
Solomon Iorver, 24, and Atyoho Teryima, 30, were arrested by men of Operation Send in a special operation led by SP Justin Gberindye.
Parading the suspects on Friday, state commissioner of police, Wale Abass, explained that the suspects were arrested after being trailed over a period of time.
He said “we arrested them on August 9, 2022 after trailing them. Recall that when I assumed office here as commissioner, I warned criminals to leave the state because it would not be business as usual. I told them I am determined to ensure that people sleep with their two eyes closed. I also assured those who come to Benue to do legitimate businesses that they would not have any reason to be scared.
“So before now we had cases of criminality along North Bank and Wadata Area which had been rampant. But we have taken the fight to them. Fortunately, during the last operation this gang had which was unsuccessful, while they were trying to escape they dropped one of their phones.
“That was what gave us the lead. With that we were able to trace and pick them. It is a four-man gang, but the kingpin and another are on the run but we will get them. Before now they had done about four operations successfully and collected ransom. This is their last week assured you.”
Speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba, rtd, stated that the gang which had its hideout in Makurdi “specialized in kidnapping women but our Special Crime Unit bursted their activities.
“Meanwhile as the Benue state law on kidnapping provides, we are moving to their hideout to pull down the building and hand same over to the state government as provided by the law.
“One of their victim was the wife of a former chairman of Vandeikya Local Government Area, LGA, Alhaji Ibrahim Anor. She was kidnapped by the gang including two others from who they collected ransom.”
Reacting, Alhaji Anor, who commended the Gberindyer led Operation Zenda for tracking the suspects saying “they kidnapped my wife last November and demanded for N25 million ransom. They kept her for nine days after which they took N3 million from me after endless pleading.”