- Safiu Kehinde
The Benue State Police Command has neutralised a suspected gunrunner with large live ammunition recovered from him at Ukum Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by DSP Udeme Edet, the Benue Police Command’s Public Relations Officer.
According to the statement, the police received credible investigation regarding the movement of the male suspect identified as Saamoga, also known as Aleki.
He was allegedly conveying live ammunition from Gbagir to Zaki-Biam on a commercial motorcycle.
Based on the information, a patrol team was immediately mobilised and deployed to Tse Dubem area of Ukum LGA, where a stop-and-search operation was conducted.
Upon sighting the police patrol team, the suspect reportedly disembarked from the motorcycle and attempted to evade arrest. In the course of the operation, the suspect was immobilised with a shot in the leg and taken into custody.
A search conducted on the suspect led to the recovery of one hundred and seventeen (117) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed inside socks within his handbag.
Other items recovered include charms and a mobile phone.
During preliminary investigation, the suspect confessed that the ammunition was being conveyed to Taraba State.
The suspect was subsequently taken to the General Hospital, Zaki-Biam, for medical attention, where he later died while receiving treatment.
In a separate development, the Command on the Friday received a situation report on an attack by suspected armed herdsmen on Edikwu Icho in Apa Local Government Area.
The attack was repelled through the efforts of operatives of the Benue State Police Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
Following the intervention, the general security situation in Apa Local Government Area remains calm.
The command also announced the ongoing repair of the bridge linking Ugbokpo, Idogbu, Ochumeku, and Ikobi, which was earlier burnt by suspected herdsmen.
Reacting to the developments, the Benue Commissioner of Police,Ifeanyi Emenari, commended the officers and men of the Command for their prompt response and professionalism across the affected areas.
He reassured the people of Benue State of the Command’s commitment to sustaining proactive and intelligence-led policing towards ensuring the safety and security of lives and property across the State.
The Command urged members of the public to remain calm and continue to cooperate with the Police by providing timely and credible information that can aid crime prevention and detection.