…arrests 15 robbery/cult gang members, recovers guns and live ammunition
By Peter Duru
A 40-year-old man, Abubakar Maigari has been arrested by the Benue State Police Command for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl (name withheld) in the Wadata area of Makurdi town.
Also apprehended were 15 suspected robbery and cult gang members who were arrested in a special pre-yuletide operation to rid the state of criminal elements ahead of the festivities.
Parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Garba Mukaddas said the rape suspect was apprehended after a complaint was lodged at the ‘A’ Division of the Command.
He said, “few days ago a complaint was received at the ‘A’ Division Makurdi that while an elght-year-old girl was hawking water within the neighbourhood, 40-year-old Abubakar Maigari allegedly invited the victim in the pretext of buying sachet water and dragged her into his room where he defiled her.”
The Police Commissioner said the suspect was in Police custody while investigation into the matter was ongoing.
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He further explained that the suspected robbery and cult gang members were arrested in the Wadata area of Makurdi town, Adikpo-Ogoja, Ugbema- Jato Aka roads in Kwande LGA and Makurdi-Lafia road in Guma LGA while they were robbing and dispossessing their victims of their belongings and valuables.
“After we received information that kidnap and armed robbery gang was operating along Adikpo -Ogoja road, a team of police officers was deployed to their hideout located at Mzaav village, Kwande Local Government Area of the State where five of the suspects were arrested,” he said.
According to Mr. Mukkadas, the arrest of the cult gang members in Makurdi town followed a complaint at the ‘A’ Division that some suspects were operating in Wadata area of the town.
He said weapons recovered from all the suspects included four rifles, 33 live ammunition, phones, knives and cash assuring that they would be arraigned at the completion of investigation into their respective cases.
Some of the suspects and the recovered weapons
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