Benue: Police parade suspected kidnappers, uncover fraud academy
By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
Benue State command of the Nigeria Police under the able watch of the new commissioner of Police CP. Hassan Steve Yabanet FCID ps has arrested and paraded kidnappers.
CP Yabanet performed the parading ceremony at the command headquarters during a maiden press briefing in Makurdi, explaining that they received information about the kidnappers’ hideout located at welfare quarters, Makurdi.
A team of police detectives were detailed to the area to trail and arrest suspects.
Upon arrival of the police at the scene, the kidnappers engaged them in a gun duel but were overpowered by the police superior fire power that led to the arrest of one Michael Dickson Orinya ‘m’ 19yrs, Ebia Omirigwe ‘m’ 25yrs and Ejeh Miriam ‘f’ 21yrs all of various addresses in Otukpo. One of the suspects sustained a gunshot injury and was rushed to Benue State University Teaching Hospital where he was confirmed dead and corpse deposited at the hospital.
Items recovered from them according to the commissioner of Police at the scene include; one AK-47 rifle loaded with fifteen rounds of live ammunition, seven Point of Sale (POS) machines and one hundred and fifty (150) ATM cards of different banks while investigation is ongoing and would soon be charged to Court.
Relatedly, following information received by the police about a fraud academy and operations of Internet fraudsters in Makurdi, at Jerome Hwande Street Akpa-Quarters, Makurdi, police detectives were detailed to investigate the case. On 14/5/2024 at about 0600hrs the following suspects were arrested at the house; one Terpase Luke Denmodi ‘m’ 23yrs and Avalumun Ayangekaa Dominic ‘m’ 24yrs. Items recovered from them include; seven (7) Hp laptops, one (1) Apple note, one (1) Canon printer, fifteen (15) notes of Ghana cedis, two international passports, assorted clothes among other items.
Suspects confessed to the crime stating that most of their victims are foreigners and they have students that are usually trained in the fraud business at the house. Trainees share proceeds of fraud with them as they go out to practice. Investigation is ongoing to crack down the network of fraudsters in Benue State and would soon be charged to Court after investigation.
The new police Commissioner also revealed that has taken time to tour part of the state and have a direct assessment of the security situation in the state.
According to him, the tour has brought about reforms that are already yielding results as evident in what is happening in the State.
“I have been able to redeploy officers to areas where they will function better and have mapped out strategies and flash points where police attention is extremely required. Some of the areas where attention has been paid to are, dismantling of illegal road blocks, strengthening the Anti-Cyber crime and Anti-Kidnapping units as well as on-going operations to clamp down on bandits in several local government areas,” Yabanet revealed.
