Operatives of Operation Zenda, a special quad of the Benue Police Command, in conjunction with policemen at Akpehe in Wurukum Area of Benue State, have arrested four suspected armed robbers and kidnappers who they claimed have been terrorising that part of the state for some time.
The suspects, it was gathered, operated using commercial tricycles, otherwise known as Keke NAPEP, as well as motorbikes to kidnap victims in various places.
It was gathered that the arrested suspects also raped female victims opposite Benue State University Teaching Hospital, and later collected millions of naira as ransom from their families.
The police were able to rescue eight victims while two escaped from the hideout of the kidnappers at Logo 1, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue state.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Abass told Saturday Sun that the gang of five armed robbers and kidnappers had abducted two victims – Dr Silas Aondo and Gloria Mimiduo who are staff of Benue State University Teaching Hospital on July 4, 2022 opposite the hospital.
He said the incident prompted the Operation Zenda operatives to go after the criminals, with a view to rescuing the victims.
He said the two victims were attacked while on motorcycles, adding that the kidnappers escaped with the victims in a Keke NAPEP before they were intercepted by the police operatives.
CP Abass said the kidnappers collected the victims’ valuable items including their phones – an Infinix Hot 10 and android phones valued at N100,000 .
“Also, the same gang on January 10, 2022 kidnapped one Terchemen Pius Nyian. The gang attacked the victim while they operated on a motorcycle and used Keke NAPEP to take him to their hideout. When information got to the policemen at Akpehe Police Station, they intercepted the suspected criminals after a gun duel and the kidnappers immediately abandoned the victims, including their motorcycle and Keke NAPEP and escaped to the bush.
“Operatives of Operation Zenda then stormed their hideout at Logo 1, Makurdi and raided the criminals on August 25, 2022 and arrested three suspects. They include Fanen Wever, 25, Adanyi Philip a.k.a Baron, 29, and Akon Albert aka. ‘J boy’ , 28. Other members of the gang exchanged bullets with the police. Three of the gang members were shot dead during the gun duel and the police recovered locally made pistols, 20 rounds of live ammunitions, AK 47 rifles and Indian hemps.
“On February 23, 2022, the same gang had kidnapped three victims along Quarter Road, Makurdi. They used their motorcycle and Keke NAPEP to block the vehicle of the victims and later took them to their hideout where they demanded a ransom of N2 million from their families. They tied the legs of the victims, blindfolded them and beat them to a state of coma. They called the relatives of the victims and after negotiations, they paid N500, 000. It was after the victims had spent three days in the captivity of the kidnappers that they were released. The police operatives raided the hideout and recovered pump action, dane guns, cutlasses and ropes while the kidnappers escaped .
“On March 10, 2022, the same gang attacked four victims at Makurdi axis with their motorcycle and Keke NAPEP. They took the victims to a nearby bush and beat them to a state of coma. They collected all their money, ATM cards, phones and other valuable items and abandoned them and left. It was a Good Samaritan who alerted the policemen from ‘B’ Division who went to rescue the victims and took them to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. The ‘B’ Division police were on patrol of the axis where the ugly incident happened.
“On May 21, 2022, some kidnappers operating in a Keke NAPEP pretended to convey some passengers to Abuja Park. But the criminals robbed the victims of their valuable items along the way. They then abandoned the people on the road and zoomed off. It was through information that the police operatives arrested one of their gang members, Matthew Orthom who confessed to have terrorised some victims early in the morning by robbing them. The police recovered only a locally made gun and ten rounds of cartridges from him. The suspect was then charged to court”, CP Abass explained.
He further explained that on June 3, 2022, the same set of suspected criminals kidnapped one businessman along Makurdi/Enugu Expressway when the victim was stranded along the Expressway.
“They marched him to their hideout in the forest and collected his ATM card and wristwatches, bag, phones, shoes and abandoned him. Immediately, policemen were redeployed to Makurdi/Enugu Expressway to checkmate the hoodlums who robbed the victims and escaped to a neighbouring state.”
One of the suspects, Phillip Adani a.k.a. Baron, in a chat with Saturday Sun: ‘I hail from Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. I am a member of Viking Confraternity and five of us are members of a gang of armed robbers/kidnappers involved in a series of killings. We kidnapped victims, took them to our hideout at Logo 1, Makurdi. We started kidnapping over two years ago. We operated within Benue State University Teaching Hospital and we used our motorcycle and Keke NAPEP to attack the victims. We kidnapped two victims who are staff of BSUTH and took them to our hideout.
“We did not succeed when the police intercepted us. We abandoned the victims and took their valuables, money and phones that were worth over N100, 000
“Whenever we operate and kidnap victims and succeeded in collecting some money as ransom, we would run away to the neighbouring state, Nasarawa State where we usually spend the money to enjoy ourselves, drinking beer with ladies.
“We would then come back to rob victims along Makurdi/ Nasarawa Expressway. We robbed victims and collected all their belongings. Sometimes when we kidnap female victims, we take them to another hideout in Wurukum market and keep them in our custody for several weeks before we would release them.”
Another suspect, Fanen Wever said: “I hail from Benue State. We have been involved in several kidnappings and robberies in Makurdi. It was when we were going for another operation that the police operatives raided our hideout and arrested three of us. I have taken them to where we always hide our arms and ammunitions, and they have taken them away. We have confessed to the police operatives and we have taken them to some places where we kidnapped and robbed victims.”
The Commissioner of Police said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
@sunnewsonline.com
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