Police Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team have arrested two suspects for the kidnap of a medical doctor, Audu Benedict, his son, and one of his associates in Katsina-ala Local Government Area of Benue State while travelling from Taraba State to Abuja on 10th March, 2019.
The suspects, Henry Terkula Gwa, 25, from Donga Local Government Area of Benue State and Terhile Tsavbe, 30, from Gawa village, Katsina-ala LGA of Benue State, were arrested on the 6th and 11th June, 2020 respectively following intense search for the victims and manhunt for the perpetrators by the police team.
Investigations revealed that the criminal gang collected 7.5million naira as ransom from the families of the victims as condition for their release. The suspects forced the late Dr Audu Benedict to issue them a cheque of N500,000.000 which they cashed in a commercial bank in Gboko town, Benue State. Subsequently, the suspects killed the three victims and buried them in a shallow grave at Gawa in Katsina-ala LGA of Benue State.
A release by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said: “While effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large, the police team is on the verge of exhuming the remains of the slain victims.”
In a similar development, the police have arrested 25 other criminal suspects for their involvements in a varying cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession of prohibited firearms, all currently under investigations. The suspects are members of high-profile criminal gangs terrorizing communities and major highways of the North-Central and North-West States of the country.
Exhibits recovered by the police team from the suspects include: six AK47 rifles, three locally fabricated pump action guns, one locally fabricated pistol, two dane guns, 55 rounds of AK47 ammunition, four empty magazines, one laptop computer and one Toyota Corolla Car with REG No. MKD 13 RC.
All the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has, in the time being, assured that the battle against criminal elements in the country is a continuous one. He called for all hands to be on deck towards decisive victory and reclaiming of the public space from the criminal elements.
