We have superior weapons than police – suspected arms dealer

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The Police in Benue State, recently, got a shocking revelation from one of the arrested suspected criminals who deals in illegal arms in the state. The occasion was during a parade by the new Commissioner of police in the state, Paul Yakadi, after his command recorded a breakthrough by arresting about 55 cult and armed robbery suspects in a major operation and clampdown on masterminds of crimes and criminality in the state.

Confession

The middle-aged suspect, Babiro Laruri, who was amongst six other suspects arrested in Oturkpo, Okpokwu and Adeke in Makurdi local government area of the state for alleged illegal possession of various calibre of fire arms was caught with a G-3 rifle and twenty rounds of live ammunition.

He told his interrogators after confessing to the crime that he would lead them to recover more of the deadly weapons in his village stating that, “People have the weapons.

This is nothing compared to what we have. I am prepared to take the police to anywhere in their desire to recover more weapons.” Other suspects arrested with him were, Sule Yakubu, Musa Mohammed, Abah Jame, Peter Adaje, Samuel Mfahan and Desmond Mfahan.

More startling recoveries

The operation which lasted several days, took operatives of the command to every nook and cranny of the state, leading to the combing of suspected hideouts of criminals in parts of the state. Recovered in the special operation were over 44 assorted firearms, 97 different live ammunition and two stolen cars said to have been used by the criminals in different operations.

Parading the suspects at the Command headquarters, the Commissioner of Police attributed the the arrest to the all-out war declared on undesirable elements in the state in the last few weeks, after he assumed duties. According to Yakadi, among those arrested was a four-man notorious robbery gang that specialized in laying siege on the popular Otukpo-Enugu road, at Ugbokolo, where unsuspecting motorists were robbed almost every night.

He said his men also nabbed one Babiri Laruri at Anyii in Logo local government area with one G-3 rifle numbered 69097266 with 10 rounds of live ammunition.

Arrest of fake police officer

According to him, “during the operation, we also received information about one John Orjime, who specialized in stealing motorcycles under the guise that he was a police officer, ripping off unsuspecting victims while using the premises of the Command headquarters.

He usually lures unsuspecting riders into the police headquarters premises, on the pretext of transferring their cases to the command headquarters from the various Police divisions. He was apprehended when he attempted to steal a BM100 Boxer Bajaj motorcycle with registration number MKD 371 UT, from the owner who he lured to the Police CID. He confessed to series of theft of motorcycles.

“On a tip off also, we arrested one Chuma Onuigbo who allegedly broke into the store of one Miss Ati Anita of Anyaka street, old GRA Makurdi, and stole clothing materials and shoes valued at over N3.5million. During our investigations, all the stolen items were recovered from the suspect.”

Arrest of highway robbers

Yakadi said further that in the course of the operation, “we also received information that a gang of robbers who had over time been terrorizing motorists on Gboko/Ugbema road, were planning to launch attacks in Gboko. A joint operation of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, operatives and ‘B’ Division patrol team, Gboko, and the vigilante group in the area intercepted and arrested Tirkuma Saater, Ordaduan Adura, Terseer Chigyo and Terkaa Dura.

This was after one locally-made AK47 rifle, two locally-made pistols, two magazines with 60 rounds of 7.62mm of live ammunition and 19 cartridges were recovered from the suspects, after a search on their vehicle, a Honda car with registration number MUS 78 BH. We are still on the trail of two of the robbery suspects who escaped arrest.”

More arrests of suspects and arms recovery

Also paraded was one Tergu Iorltyom, who allegedly conspired with his gang to rob one Terpine Aker of a Toyota Picnic van with registration number GKP 203 AA, belonging to one Augustina Ambrose after shooting Aker twice on the neck. He stated that during investigation, the stolen vehicle was traced and recovered from one Uba Mohammed in Abuja.

Also arrested in Okpokwu local government area of the state, were three suspects, Inalegu Timothy, alias lover boy, Fidelis Udeh, Gabriel Ochinya from whom were recovered an expended AK ammunition, one army camouflage jacket and substances suspected to be Indian hemp.

On parade also were some suspected cultists, Yakadi disclosed that, “the Police acted on a tip-off that some cultists who had been terrorizing Guma and Makurdi axis of the state were regrouping to launch attacks on selected targets. Detectives mobilized to the scene where one Myom Akinde of Umenger village in Guma was arrested. Recovered from him was a locally-made pistol with live cartridge which is used for cult related activities.”

Police boss solicits for cooperation

Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner who assured that the renewed onslaught will be sustained also promised that the suspects would be arraigned at the end of investigation into their respective cases. He also solicited the cooperation of the public urging them to avail his command valid information that would aid the work of his men.

Source: Vanguard