A special military team, Operation Whirl Stroke, in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states has arrested 10 suspects involved in kidnapping and other crimes.
The arrested suspects were paraded on Wednesday by theatre commander of the operation, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, at the OPWS Headquarters in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Wjile speaking during the parade, he explained that six suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers were arrested from Nasarawa State, and four suspected militia members, including a weapons manufacturer, from Benue.
Yekini added that the troops recovered five assorted weapons and 12 others at various stages of manufacturing from the suspects.
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He identified one Saidu Mohammed, a suspected herdsman leading a gang of rustlers with over 2,000 stolen herds of cattle and involved in the kidnapping of herdsmen for ransom in Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi and parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
He also said one of Mohammed’s victims who broke loose during the exchange of a N2.5 million ransom, testified against the suspect said to have relocated to Nasarawa State.
According to him, two of the members of the wanted militia leader, Terwase Akwaza, were arrested with the illegal weapons manufacturer who owns a factory with over 50 weapons sold out.
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